WASHINGTON, D.C., November 4, 1999—Peace Corps Acting Director Charles Baquet III today announced the appointment of Washington, D.C. resident Lynn Heichel Kneedler as manager of the mid-Atlantic regional recruiting office. In this capacity, Kneedler will oversee all Peace Corps recruitment, management and outreach activities for Washington D.C., Maryland, Virginia, West Virginia, Delaware and North Carolina.
"Lynn\'s knowledge, leadership and enthusiasm for the Peace Corps will guide the Mid-Atlantic office into the new millennium," said Baquet. "She brings a wealth of experience to this challenging job and will provide superior guidance to the Peace Corps in one of our most vital recruitment regions."
Prior to accepting this post, Kneedler, 56, worked for five years as executive director of the Capitol Hill Group Ministry, a community-based social service agency that works with homeless and vulnerable families and youth. Before that, she worked for several non-profit organizations, such as Bread for the World and Refugees International; she also taught seventh and eighth grade at Georgetown Day School for many years. Kneedler is a returned Peace Corps volunteer, who served as a teacher in Tanzania from 1965Ð67.
"I recently had the opportunity to return to my community in Tanzania after 32 years," said Kneedler. "There I visited former students of mine, and saw what an impact Peace Corps volunteers make on the lives of the people they work with. That perspective is extremely valuable, and I\'m truly looking forward to this opportunity to encourage others to serve through the Peace Corps."
Kneedler holds a bachelor\'s degree in elementary education from Kent State University in Kent, Ohio. She and her husband, Ed, live on Capitol Hill and have two daughters, Jennie and Annie.