Home Page Larry Winter Roeder, Jr., MS

Professional Diplomat and Consultant on Disaster Management, Economic Development and Sanctions

 

 
 

Resume

 Larry Winter Roeder, Jr., MS

Home Phone: contact roederaway@yahoo.com

 Fields of professional competence: Project management, the United Nations, treaty negotiations, crisis management, multilateral diplomacy, livelihood protection, disaster management, economic sanctions, peacekeeping.

                                                                          Larry Winter Roeder, Jr.,

 

Job History

 

1.  October, 2005 to present:.  Private consulting.   Guidance provided on humanitarian relief, treaty negotiations, voluntary work with the Global Disaster Information Network (GDIN) and American Red Cross (Loudoun County Disaster Team).  

2.   1994-October, 2005, Policy Advisor on Disaster Management, US Department of State, Washington , DC . 

 

  1. Coordinated US positions on United Nations and IFRC handling of disasters and complex humanitarian issues, management disaster programs such as GDIN, the Global Disaster Information Network (which I developed for Mr. Gore’s office.

  2. Represented the United States Government on international disaster management boards, such as the future’s program of OECD, the Organization of Economic Cooperation and Development in Paris and the Subcommittee on Disaster Reduction, an interagency body that advises the President, and continue to be a frequent speaker at International Conference on disaster management.

  3. Participated in the planning and execution of numerous operations in Iraq, Sudan, Kuwait, Afghanistan, Yugoslavia and elsewhere.

  4. Helped develop economic assistance plan for Albania.

  5. Involved with controlling sensitive experts to countries that sponsor terrorism or human rights abuses.

  6. Following the information failures of the 1994 Rwanda crisis, I led the USG’s project leader on ReliefWeb, the UN’s premier web site on disaster management.

  7. Risk reduction has also been a key element in my work, often supporting ISDR, the International Strategy on Disaster Reduction. In that context,  I was the Deputy on the US Delegation to the World Conference on Disaster Reduction in Kobe , Japan and led implementation team.

  8. Led negotiations on the Tampere Convention on the provision of emergency telecommunications, a potentially crucial new tool for relief agencies.

  9. Participated in plans to develop a global Tsunami system.

  10. Represented the Department of State in n interagency study intended to identify science and technology investment requirements for the next decade in disaster management. Done through Subcommittee on Disaster Reduction.

  11. participated in review of UNRWA management (UN Relief Works Agency) for Palestine and reviewing candidates for chief of UNRWA..

  12. Co-Chaired International Working Group of the Subcommittee on Disaster Reduction, which reports to the Science and Technology Adviser to the President.

  13. Executive Director of GDIN, the Global Disaster Information Network, an alliance of disaster managers set up by the US Department of State.  See www.gdin.org.

  14. Managed preparations for discussions on humanitarian and disaster relief in ECOSOC and the UN General Assembly.

  15.  Led sensitive mission to South Sudan for the US Government to talk to government and rebel leaders on providing aid to relief operations.

3.         1993:   European Commission, Brussels Summer and Fall: Seconded by the Department of State as the US Government’s representative to a special office in Brussels to monitor the crisis in Serbia .  Provided expertise in export controls, crisis management and smuggling.  My main job was to uncover potential smuggling operations.

4.         1986-1988:    Multinational Forces and Observers (MFO).  Civilian Peace Keeping Officer in Sinai , Egypt .  I led patrols in the Sinai Peninsula in order maintain the peace.  I also managed an educational program on indigenous populations which I taught to all incoming troops.  My primary mission was to patrol the Sinai, Gaza Strip and portions of the Negev Desert by helicopter and four wheel drive vehicle, and look for violations by either Egypt or Israel of the 1979 Treaty of Peace. I was also the news anchor on MFO News, the peacekeeping force's television broadcasting service. In addition, I taught two courses for the University of Maryland on the use of libraries and information services to solve research problems.

One of the most important aspects of my job was to teach soldiers about Bedouins. Acting under the auspices of the New Zealand Army (who handled training for the MFO), I studied the various tribes, learned their customs and developed a course aimed at preventing conflict between the soldier in the MFO and the Bedouin. In addition, A fellow Observer and I were cited for saving the lives of two Bedouins we discovered in an isolated spot in south Sinai right after a serious auto accident. At the end of my tour, I was made an honorary member of the Alegat tribe. I also received numerous unit citations from various military regiments in recognition of the quality of the course.  

5.         1974-1986:   US Department of State  I was in a wide range of positions, including various crisis teams.  I negotiated a wide range of high technology trade agreements and sat on various interagency committees.  I ran the evening shift on the Iran Desk during the hostage crisis and did similar work related to US missions in Pakistan and Lebanon . I also worked on consular research issues in the Bureau of Consular Affairs when I first joined the Department, coordinated the approval of foreign policy research projects by academia in the Bureau of Intelligence and Research and in my first tour of duty with the Bureau of International Organization Affairs coordinated research on a wide range of Security Council and other UN organ matters.   Late in this period I chaired the Palestine-Israeli Working Group of the Secretary of State’s Open Forum and sat on the South Africa Working Group.  We produced a number of published reports that reviewed the potential for an independent Palestinian state that combined the Gaza Strip and the West Bank .  The work on the South Africa Working Group also led to discussions with the Secretary of State on how to end apartheid.  Many missions were operational postings that required me to make quick decisions with little time for reflection.  Much of the work was sensitive and can’t be reported here; but did involve coordinating actions to protect hostages, protect US citizens in crisis, and in one instance to seize an airplane.  Much of my work also entailed negotiating sensitive agreements in COCOM (the Coordinating Committee) and the Australia Group (a Chemical-Biological Warfare export control group).  These negotiations were aimed at keeping sensitive weapons and dual-use technology from Communist regimes, or chemical and biological precursors from rogue states.  While in Paris as acting United States Delegate to COCOM, I was also Counselor of Embassy, assigned to OECD.  

6          1969-1972    US Army Security Agency.   Included counter-terrorism operations in Eritrea (then part of Ethiopia ) and duty with the 82nd airborne division. .While stationed in Asmara , Ethiopia , I also did volunteer work in a Leper colony and with refugees from Sudan .

 

Education:

1.  MS (Library Information Science), Catholic University , Washington , DC, 7/76-10/77 (with post graduate work in comparative economics); 2.  BA (History and English), Culver-Stockton College , Canton , Missouri , 9/68-6/74, BA, with Honors Recognition in History of the Palestine Question.  Profession studies at the Foreign Service Institute.

 Awards and Recognition

 ·         Department of State Superior Honor Award.  Presented by the US Department of State on December 17, 1998 for developing the Global Disaster Information Network GDIN, a system that will link satellite and other sensor related systems in order to provide better international early warning, response and mitigation in natural and technological disaster management. The citation reads   "For his inspired, tireless and dedicated efforts to translate into reality the concept of a Global Disaster Information Network, for the benefit of all humanity."

 ·         Department of State Meritorious Honor Awards:

o       August, 2005 for work on the World Conference on Disaster Reduction, WCDR, Kobe , Japan .

o       July, 2003 For work on the UN Commission on Human Rights and UN Commission on Status of Women during the war on Iraq.

o       Nov, 2003 For preparations for the 57th UN General Assembly

o       May, 1994 For enforcing sanctions during the Yugoslav crisis.

o       June, 1991 For enforcing sanctions during the Persian Gulf Crisis

o       March 1990 For coordinating the 1988 and 1989 Strategic Trade Officers' Conference (STOC).  These conferences trained government officials on export controls related to terrorism and regional stability, and nuclear, biological and chemical warfare.  

·         Certificate of Excellence in Diplomacy, Awarded by the Bureau of International Organization, Department of State, October 1, 1998. Given in recognition of my work as Chief of the United States Delegation to the Intergovernmental Conference on Emergency Telecommunications in June 1998. This Conference was the vehicle for negotiating the Tampere Convention on the Provision of Emergency Telecommunications. This treaty is intended to make it substantially easier to move telecommunications across national boundaries during disasters.

·         ITU Diploma of Recognition: Given in December 1998 by the Secretary General of the ITU (International Telecommunications Union) for negotiating the  Tampere Convention on the Provision of Emergency Telecommunications.

·         European Commission/ SamCom Achievement Award: Presented in June 1993 by the European Commission in Brussels in recognition of work assisting the European Commission and the EC/CSCE Sanctions Coordinator.  Much of my work involved developing a database to detect smugglers.

·         Military and MFO Unit Certificates of Achievement, These were given for work on the Bedouin culture in the Sinai. The most significant of the Sinai awards were:

o          New Zealand Army Contingent: April 1988. This was in recognition of two years work teaching allied soldiers about Bedouin culture.

o       3rd Battalion, 327th Infantry, 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault), March 1987. This was in recognition of my work teaching US soldiers about Bedouins.

o       MFO Civilian Observer Unit, Medal for studies on Bedouin Tribes.

o       Recognition for a fellow Observer and myself in our evaluations in April, 1988 for saving the lives of two Bedouins we discovered in an isolated spot in south Sinai right after a serious auto accident.

o       April 1988, made an honorary member of the Alegat Tribe. 

·         Certificates of Appreciation by the US Department of State:

o         1981 for my work as Chief of the Evening Shift on the Iran Hostage Team and in 1981 for my work on the Pakistan Working Group in response to the burning of the Embassy.

o       1982 for supporting the Habib Peace Mission to Lebanon , in which the President also recognized me.

 

Sample Publications    Numerous publications written  Complete list can be provided.  Here is a sampling.

 June, 2005  (co-author)  Grand Challenges for Disaster Reduction, by National Science and Technology Council, Committee on Environment and Natural Resources., A report of the Subcommittee on Disaster Reduction.

September, 2004:  "Speaking Out: A Cry For Justice,"  a protest over US policy of torturing and mishandling prisoners. Foreign Service Journal.

2003 Emerging Risks in the 21st Century: An Agenda for Action.  Collaborated on Steering Committee of Study

 Summer, 2001 - “Crisis information is the new relief commodity,” Humanitarian Affairs Review

1998-1999  Variety of Articles on Bedouin Culture published in Egypt and Israel.

June, 1999, Avoiding "The Second Disaster," by Alan Kotok in Electronic Commerce World, June, 1999, Vol 9, Number 6, pg 6 and 21. Covers my work on ReliefWeb and REMAPS.

June 30, 1999, Legal Limits on Access to and Disclosure of Disaster Information, by National Academy of Public Administration, NAPA . I did not write this report; but was one of the people who contributed information to the authors. See Appendix C, page 4. For a summary copy of the report, go to the Management Studies portion of website http://www.napawash.org/napa/index.html.

Aug 17, 1998, "33 Nations Support International Agreement to Help Agencies Avoid Telecommunications Delays during Emergencies," Monday Developments, Volunteers in Tech Assistance, Vol. 16, No 15.

Nov, 1997, Harnessing information and Technology for Disaster Management: The Global Disaster Information Network (GDIN): Disaster Information Task Force Report, November, 1997. I wrote chapter seven of this book "Global Considerations," pp 82-88. See also page ii, where I am listed as a member of the GDIN Steering Committee.

May, 1995, "Economic Sanctions, a Handbook," Bureau of International Organizations, U.S. Department of State.

July 1991, "Informal Suggestions for Transforming the Albanian Economy," the East-European Committee, Economic and Business Affairs Bureau , U.S. Department of State.

July 1991, "Mechanics of Diplomacy: The ABCs of Sanctions," Foreign Service Journal, Vol. 68, No. 1.

  May 1991, " Albania 's Awakening," Foreign Service Journal, Vol. 68, No. 5.

 Aug 1989, "Trial Law and Tribal Solidarity in Sinai Bedouin Culture, The Story of Besha," Anthropos, a German journal of anthropology.

Frequent Public Speaker.