Local family hosts U.S.
diplomat
By Heather Mangold
City
Editor
A United States diplomat slept at the farm of a
local Tippecanoe County family last night.
Carol and Ed Purdy, of 3633 U.S. 231 South in Lafayette,
offered their home to Carlos Poza, the United States Department of Commerce
regional director for Europe, as he participates in the Senior Seminar
Program.
The program invites 31 senior foreign policy and
national security officials from the U.S. government to spend time in
the states as they prepare to move into higher roles overseas. It is
a nine-month professional development experience designed to enhance
the leadership and executive skills of these individuals.
Indiana's role in the program is to provide an
agricultural perspective to these diplomats who have often lived overseas
for several years while representing America.
Poza will spend 36 hours with the family altogether.
"This is certainly long enough for these diplomats
to understand how U.S. policy, whether it's foreign policy or economic
policy, impacts people who are really first in line for U.S. food production,"
said DeeDee Sigler, communications director for the office of the Indiana
commissioner of agriculture.
Purdy said she and her husband would do all they
could to ensure that when Poza goes back overseas he would be well informed
about agriculture in the United States.
"We'll introduce him to as many people as possible
so they can ask questions about farming in this county or in Indiana
so when they go back (overseas) they'll be more familiarized," said
Purdy.
Purdy said she and her husband would take Poza
to talk with people from the agricultural extension office, people in
agricultural product marketing and even people working in banks so he
can talk with loan officers about loans for farming.
"They will have some pretty intense discussions
about what it's like to be a producer in the U.S. today," said Sigler.
"They can sit in a classroom and take part in discussions, but really
getting out on the farm and seeing firsthand what it's like to be in
agricultural production is really the highlight of their visit to Indiana."
This firsthand experience is what the Purdys plan
to deliver. Driving a tractor, looking at crops and helping out on the
farm are common tasks provided for the diplomats while they visit the
Hoosier farmers, usually during the busy harvest season.
Purdy said she and her husband have been host families
for the program for six years and she plans to do it again next year.
"These are very interesting people and we always
thoroughly enjoy having them," said Purdy. "We always learn a lot, too."
Purdy said when she has hosted diplomats in the
past they were well informed about agriculture.
"They have a lot of seminars and do a lot of research
before they come," said Purdy. "They are always very well prepared."
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