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Guatemalan Mayor, Park Director Praise International Visitor Leadership Program on Park Administration on National TV

by Rhonda Martin

In September 2007, Katka Letzing, Lead Program Officer & Marketing Specialist, Institute of International Education, West Coast Center, San Francisco, developed a highly visible and successful International Visitor Leadership Program which took place in San Francisco, Lassen Volcano National Park, Lassen National Forest, and Yosemite National Park. The program was designed for six Guatemalan mayors and park officials who participated in an eleven-day professional program on Park Administration. Katka not only had to open and close the program in San Francisco, but had to coordinate her programming efforts through numerous conference calls and e-mails with the State Department program officer, the American Embassy and the Peace Corps in Guatemala, and U.S. National Park Service. Katka arranged for accomodations at hotels, lodges and campgrounds; provided the interpreters with maps and driving directions; scheduled professional meetings in San Francisco; coordinated the visitors’ trip to the bank to cash their per diem checks; and arranged home hospitality. Immediately upon the visitors’ arrival in the United States, Katka was confronted with unforeseen problems such as one visitors’ travel being delayed by a day. Through it all, Katka was professional, resourceful, and accomodating. She worked diligently to make the required logistical adjustments and resolve the problems quickly.

Soon after returning to Guatemala, the mayor of San Vicente Pacaya and the director of Pacaya Volcano National Park strongly praised their professional program in a five-minute primetime news segment on Guatemala’s leading cable TV network, Guatevision. Three months later the Peace Corps environmental coordinator and a Peace Corps volunteer who had accompanied the delegation on the professional tour along with the embassy’s public affairs officer, David Young, met with the mayor of San Vicente Pacaya to build on the success of the visit. One result of the program is that Lassen and Pacaya are developing a sister park relationship to follow up with further training and exchanges.

We, and of course our visitors, benefit enormously from the dedication and service that all our partners in the IVLP contribute. Ms. Letzing’s efforts are greatly appreciated. Also, David Young thanked Katka several times and wrote: “. . . THANKS . . . for all your great work in making the trip a HUGE SUCCESS!”

Rhonda Martin is a program officer in the Voluntary Visitors Division, Office of International Visitors, U.S. Department of State.

PHOTOS: The Guatemalan visitors with Peace Corps representatives and U.S. National Park Service rangers in Yosemite and Lassen.

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