FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
Monday, March 11, 2002

New Personnel Supplement Peace Corps Staff; Africa Director and Planning, Policy Staff Named

WASHINGTON, D.C., March 11, 2001—Peace Corps Director Gaddi Vasquez today announced the appointment of Henry McKoy as the Regional Director for Africa, Dr. Kyo “Paul” Jhin as the Director of the Office of Planning, Policy and Analysis and Dr. Morgan Walls as the Acting Management Analyst in the Office of Planning, Policy and Analysis.

In 1996, McKoy was appointed by the President and confirmed by the Senate to serve as a member of the bipartisan Board of Directors of the African Development Foundation (ADF), which is the principal agency of the U.S. government supporting community-based, self-help initiatives that alleviate poverty and promote sustainable development in Africa. Established by Congress in 1980, ADF currently has active programs in 14 sub-Saharan countries. As an ADF board member, McKoy was responsible for articulating a clear understanding of U.S. policies regarding Africa and for implementing the Foundation’s goals relating to sustainable development.

In addition to his responsibilities at ADF, McKoy was the president of his own management consultancy firm. Begun in 1993, his firm specialized in conducting management audits; assisting organizations with organizational development, team building, and managing change; and providing training sessions in managing conflict, board development, and workplace diversity. McKoy assisted public and private sector organizations develop strategies and policies to carry out their organizational mission and to cope with change.

Mr. McKoy has a long and distinguished history of service to the state of North Carolina. In 1995, he was elected to the State Senate in North Carolina and served on both the Appropriations and Budget Committees. Previously, he served from 1981 to 1993 as Deputy Secretary of the North Carolina Department of Administration. His responsibilities entailed managing the daily operations of the department and general oversight of several state boards and commissions, including the Commission on Indian Affairs, the Human Relations Commission, the Council for Women, and the Governor’s Commission on Citizens with Disabilities. Henry also served as Director of the North Carolina Human Relations Commission and as Executive Director of the Greensboro, North Carolina Human Relations Commission.

From 1984 to 1994, McKoy served as Adjunct Instructor at the University of North Carolina’s Institute of Government, where he conducted seminars for city and county management officials. He also served as Adjunct Instructor at North Carolina State University, teaching courses on local and state government.

McKoy is a graduate of North Carolina A&T State University with a bachelor’s degree in Political Science and a master’s degree in History Education. He served in the U.S. Army from 1969 to 1971.

He and his wife, Katie, have two children, Kara, 28, and Marcia, 23.

Dr. Paul Jhin has had over 25 years of experience in administration, organizational planning and management. For the past seven years, Jhin has served as Director of the National Asian Pacific Center on Aging in Los Angeles, California.

From 1990 to 1993, Jhin served as Executive Assistant to the Secretary of Veterans Affairs. In this position, he served as a personal advisor and consultant to the Secretary on the formulation of broad department policies and the implementation of Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) programs authorized by Congress and mandated by the President. Jhin’s major responsibility was to launch Total Quality Management (TQM) initiatives in the agency and transform the VA to adopt TQM culture.

Prior to his tenure at the VA, Jhin served as Assistant Superintendent for Educational Technology in the District of Columbia Public School system from 1983 to1990. Beginning in 1979, he was employed by the U.S. Department of Education, where he served as the Director of Special Projects and as the by the U.S. Department of Education, where he served as the Director of Special Projects and as the Senior Associate in the Office of International Education.

Dr. Jhin has earned numerous college degrees and awards since he came to the United States in 1955: a bachelor’s degree in Mathematics from David Lipscomb University (1960), a master’s degree in Government and International Relations from New York University (1964), a second master’s degree in Mathematics from Boston College (1967) and a doctorate in Mathematics Education from Auburn University (1971). In 1969, the U.S. Junior Chamber of Commerce selected Jhin as one of four Outstanding Young Educators of America. He also received the prestigious “Distinguished Service Award” from the Federal Council of Asian Pacific Americans.

Dr. Morgan Walls, currently Recruitment Coordinator in the Dallas Regional Office, has held various positions in the Regional Office, including Interim Public Affairs Specialist and Regional Recruiter. Walls also served as a Peace Corps Volunteer in Thailand from 1991-1993, where she worked with village childcare centers on various issues.

In her capacity as the Acting Management Analyst, Walls will coordinate the distribution of the 2002 Volunteer Survey involving approximately 6,000 surveys to 70 overseas posts, the tracking of the responses, the analysis of the data, and the production and presentation of the final evaluation report. She will also be assisting the Director of PPA with special White House initiatives and will participate in directing and revising specific research projects aimed at facilitating and/or modifying current Peace Corps programs and practices. These projects will include the Early Termination Data Report, Returned Peace Corps Volunteer Survey and the development of a staff survey.

Dr. Walls came to the Peace Corps with a background in education and psychology. She holds a doctorate in Experimental Psychology from Southern Methodist University in Dallas, Texas. She earned her master’s degree in Clinical Psychology from Fisk University in Tennessee and her bachelor’s degree in Psychology from Spelman College in Georgia. Within the context of her graduate education, Walls has returned to Thailand on several occasions to conduct international studies with preschool and college populations.

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