Presidential Management Fellow Completes Rotation at State Department

ALEXANDRIA, VA – December 7, 2009. Maria Placht, a Presidential Management Fellow at IWR, completed her first rotation at the State Department's Bureau of Oceans, Environment and Science, Office of Air and Water. While there Maria worked to improve coordination with the Combatant Commands on implementing the Senator Paul Simon Water for the Poor Act. This Act requires the U.S. to increase water supply and sanitation to priority countries around the world. Maria also worked with the National Intelligence Council to initiate a project that will identify transboundary and within-boundary water conflicts most likely to pose threats to U.S. security interests in the next few decades.

Maria works with the Conflict Resolution and Public Participation Center (CPC), IWR's new Center of Expertise. Her work includes the Collaborative Capacity Development Initiative, an important priority initiative of the new center. The goal of this initiative is to conduct an internal assessment that highlights current strengths in the Corps' collaborative capabilities and identifies areas that could be enhanced. Seven of eight workshops related to the effort have been completed. Prior to each workshop, leaders from each functional area at the MSC and District level participate in a capacity assessment tool, both individually and collectively.

Ms. Placht is a 2008 Presidential Fellow. She will be engaged in two additional rotations: one at Headquarters and another at the U.S. Institute for Environmental Conflict Resolution in Tucson, Arizona.

Learn more:

• Presidential Management Fellows Program