Good morning, good afternoon. Ambassador Tracy, thank you for such personal and heartfelt remarks. It’s great to have an Ambassador speak to an incoming Mission Director who has the experience of working with that Mission Director and knows the qualities that they are bringing.
Judge Caka-Nimani and the many distinguished colleagues here to support John––thank you all for being here. With so much happening in the world, it’s a testament to John’s leadership to see how many of you gathered today to wish him well, to show your support as he officially takes up his post as Mission Director in Armenia. This showing is just one more affirmation that we are sending our very best to Armenia.
Because we would not be able to do what we do without the support of our loved ones, I also want to welcome John’s brother, David, and his wife, Sue. It’s great to have you here to celebrate with us today.
I also want to acknowledge, here at the top, the hardships facing the people of Haiti, where our DART and Search and Rescue teams are working day and night to save lives and deliver relief. As well, of course, the searing events occuring in Afghanistan, where we are doing all we can to safeguard and evacuate members of the USAID family who have supported the Afghan people across 20 years to achieve meaningful development gains.
Whether you’re a development professional like John, or simply watching the dispatches from Afghanistan or Haiti on the evening news, this is a heartbreaking time. But it’s also a time that draws out the best of USAID—those who are motivated to confront the world’s toughest challenges, be they acts of God or acts of man—because our teams know that individual dignity is worth fighting for, and that our tools and expertise can save lives. Having undertaken several hardship posts, John understands this better than most.
He is described by one former colleague as “an exceptional leader” and a “development pioneer.” And as we’ve heard already from those who’ve been in the field with him, John’s commitment to advancing democratic principles––and more specifically, his ability to represent the goodwill of the American people in countries like Armenia and Kosovo––is unmatched.
“A Founding Father of Kosovo,” another former colleague called him. “Someone will write a musical called ‘Allelo’ and everyone will happily pay 1000 Euro to see it!”
While in Kosovo, John worked with Judge Caka-Nimani to develop the new nation’s first constitution, which established the Constitutional Court, as well as a completely restructured independent judiciary.
But as mammoth an effort as that was, it wasn’t his only responsibility—he also represented USAID on the interagency housing board. You think creating an entirely new legal architecture is tough? Try doling out housing assignments to newly arrived Foreign Service Officers.
But under John’s watch? No complaints.
From Pakistan, where he focused on open and transparent elections…to Bulgaria, where he helped the government adjust legal structures to meet the standards for accession to the European Union…to Colombia, where he supported the country’s peace process after more than 50 years of conflict by leading USAID’s effort to help reintegrate thousands of former combatants. John has been, as yet another colleague put it, “...more than a strategic thinker and dynamic leader—he is also a team player, mentor, and a friend in good or bad times.”
I think it’s safe to say that we’ve picked the right person at the right time to deepen our relationship with the people of Armenia. Following the Velvet Revolution and the peaceful transition of power in 2018, USAID expanded its commitment to Armenia, increasing our staff presence and programming and working closely with the government to support the democratic transition. John is already helping build on that progress, helping the Armenian people strengthen the capacity of their government and civil society while fighting corruption and respecting the rule of law.
And he will do the hard but necessary work of helping Armenia deal with the consequences of last fall’s devastating conflict in the Nagorno-Karabakh region, even as border skirmishes continue and tensions threaten lasting peace in the region.
When I visited Armenia just two months after the Velvet Revolution, I was conscious of the fact that the United States then had still fallen short of its commitment to recognize part of Armenia’s history for what it was––genocide.
At the same time, during my visit, I had the chance to meet with young Armenians, students, and activists who had just been in the streets successfully advocating for democratic values, and I came away more optimistic than ever about Armenia’s future.
Today, as part of an Administration that has finally recognized what the world has long known to be a genocide carried out against the Armenian people, I’m proud to swear-in someone who I know will support the Armenian people as they work to cement the democratic and economic reforms of the past few years and to move beyond them.
I feel a deep personal connection to the people of Armenia and I feel blessed personally by the ties that I have built over the last two decades with Armenian Americans here in this country.
I know firsthand, as I know you do John, that they are eager to support our development efforts. This an exciting prospect, but also a necessary one given the conflict, the devastating pandemic, and the challenging economic times.
I know you’ve already started working hard to chart the path to lasting change for the Armenian people alongside Ambassador Tracy, but I’m so glad you were able to be here today.
Thank you for your service, thank you for sacrifice, thank you for your willingness to lead this important mission, and thank you for all of the heart you bring to bear for the people we serve.
A thousand euros is pretty steep, but I look forward to seeing the musical someday.
Congratulations.