FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
Thursday, May 2, 2013

Peace Corps Celebrates the Life and Service of the Honorable J. Christopher Stevens

Washington, D.C., May 2, 2013 – Peace Corps Deputy Director Carrie Hessler-Radelet welcomed family and friends of Ambassador J. Christopher Stevens to Peace Corps headquarters today for a ceremony to commemorate his life and service. Ambassador Stevens served as a Peace Corps volunteer from 1983-1985 in Morocco, where he taught English.

During the ceremony, Deputy Director Hessler-Radelet and Ambassador Stevens’ father, mother and sister, along with select friends and Peace Corps colleagues, spoke about his commitment to international diplomacy and his career as a public servant.  

“Service to others is an extraordinary act of love and kindness, and a way to make a difference in the lives of others,” Deputy Director Hessler-Radelet said. “Ambassador Stevens served communities around the world, from the U.S. to Morocco to Libya. One can’t help but be moved by his love for people and inspired by his commitment to service.”

“As a Peace Corps volunteer, Chris Stevens was creative and determined,” said David Burgess, who served as the Peace Corps Country Director in Morocco during Stevens’ time there. “He would complete any task.  He made others look good; he shared credit and he accepted responsibility.  He wasn’t afraid to make mistakes, or to apologize and ask for forgiveness when he did. We can all learn lessons from a life so well-lived.”

Ambassador Stevens was a career member of the Senior Foreign Service and served as the U.S. Ambassador to Libya from May to Sept. 2012. Prior to joining the Foreign Service in 1991, he was an international trade lawyer in Washington, D.C. Stevens was born and raised in northern California.

About the Peace Corps: Since President John F. Kennedy established the Peace Corps by executive order on March 1, 1961, more than 210,000 Americans have served in 139 host countries. Today, 8,073 volunteers are working with local communities in 76 host countries in agriculture, community economic development, education, environment, health and youth in development. Peace Corps volunteers must be U.S. citizens and at least 18 years of age. Peace Corps service is a 27-month commitment and the agency’s mission is to promote world peace and friendship and a better understanding between Americans and people of other countries. Visit www.peacecorps.gov for more information.

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