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Spring 2004
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Not
Just a Walk on the Beach
 It’s
obvious Mary Kramer (MA ‘72) is beaming
as she talks about her new job, even over the telephone line.
Kramer, a Republican member of the Iowa Senate since 1997, was
recently named the U.S. Ambassador to Barbados, the easternmost
Caribbean island, and six other island republics.
“What an opportunity to represent the United States,”
Kramer said. “I have always been taught, ‘to whom
much is given, much is expected’ and I look forward to
serving our country in this capacity.”
Kramer says Iowa has given her much and her Iowa roots run deep.
“I have been blessed to live in this wonderful place,
receive an outstanding public education—including public
higher education—and I feel it is necessary for the future
of our society to return some of the benefits I have received.”
President George W. Bush nominated Kramer for the position.
She and her husband, Kay, will live on the island for two or
three years. The Kramers had never been to Barbados or the other
islands before they left in January to make them their temporary
home.
The six other islands Kramer will oversee are St. Kitts and
Nevis, St. Lucia, Antigua and Barbuda, Dominica, Grenada and
St. Vincent, and the Grenadines.
Barbados, the largest of the seven islands Kramer will serve,
is known for gorgeous white sand beaches and temperatures between
75 – 90 degrees Fahrenheit year-round. It’s a top
vacation destination for British travelers.
Although she’s in beautiful surroundings, Kramer said
she has to work hard. “I’ve learned it’s not
going to be just a walk on the beach,” she said with a
laugh.
 Kramer
and Kay attended a two-week training for diplomats in Washington,
D.C., this fall. There she learned exactly what her job would
entail.
One of her main duties as Ambassador is to oversee the U.S.
embassy, where American tourists can go for help with their
passports and Barbados-area natives can go to apply for visas
to enter the United States.
Kramer will also work with local government officials to further
economic development and drug enforcement in the region.
“These islands are often a jumping point for drugs moving
from South America to North America or Europe, so it’s
a key post in terms of anti-terrorism and drug enforcement,”
Kramer said.
But Kramer’s job also includes two ideological goals from
the president: to further the cause for human dignity and to
further the American value of liberty.
“Fortunately for me, these countries are also dedicated
to human dignity and liberty,” Kramer said. “Those
things are just terribly important.”
Kramer says her experience as a teacher and school administrator
has helped her a great deal in her role as Iowa Senator and
U.S. ambassador.
“My education experience enables me to listen well, to
determine what individuals seek, and to find common ground through
communication. There is nothing that is as educational or speeds
up learning as trying to teach someone else. “ –
by Heather McElvain
| "It
is one of the most beautiful compensations of life, that
no man can sincerely try to help another without helping
himself." - Ralph Waldo Emerson |
 
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