Virtual
ADMINISTRATOR POWER: Thanks, Counselor Milligan, for getting us started and for giving remarks born of years of watching Rob Jenkins in action.
Thank you all for being here. And a special thanks to Rob’s wife, Carol Jenkins, who I had the pleasure of meeting a few moments ago. And Rob’s parents, Linda and Bill who are watching virtually from Rhode Island––I’m so glad you could tune in today. I’ve said before, and you all know, these jobs are family affairs.
That’s been true throughout Rob’s career as he has led task forces and DART teams; working in conflict zones from Syria to the Sahel. Linda and Bill, I can only imagine how relieved you must have been when Rob left the field work for the office here in Washington. Events in recent weeks remind us of the threats facing our colleagues in the field, but also the indispensability of their work.
In fact, USAID’s Bureau for Conflict Prevention and Stabilization was developed to better support our teams in the field; to orient our efforts here in Washington with the insights we can only get on the ground. So it’s fitting that our new CPS captain is officially taking the helm today, after years spent in various roles with the crew.
Ever since Rob marched down Colorado Boulevard in his first Rose Parade as John Muir High School’s Drum Major and Band Leader, he’s demonstrated the kind of spirited leadership that inspires people and makes an impact on the ground.
In Bosnia, he joined the newly formed Office of Transition Initiatives, helping assist in the implementation of the Dayton Peace Agreement, working to ensure that local and underrepresented populations had a voice in solving the challenges they faced.
With that experience in mind, Rob spearheaded USAID’s small grants programming––the basis of OTI’s work––amid political transitions in Colombia, Venezuela, Myanmar, Kosovo, Libya, Somalia, and Kenya.
When he rose to lead OTI, he used that position to lift up the under-represented and support civil society voices that were often marginalized prior to political transitions.
In 2005, he even led USAID’s first-ever domestic Disaster Assistance Response Team after Hurricane Katrina ravaged the Gulf Coast, scrambling to catch a red-eye to the one airport still open in Louisiana in order to save lives and reduce the suffering of those hit hardest.
And most recently, he’s served as the official leader of the CPS bureau in all but name only.
He is, in the words of his colleague, “the best that USAID has to offer.”
Throughout his decades-long career in government, Rob’s been repeatedly asked: “How do you keep up the energy? How do you deal with all that bureaucracy?”
His answer is always the same: “Don’t fixate on how to get things done—on the process. Fixate on the why. Ask yourself why we do what we do.”
That why—to serve those in need—was sparked in Rob even before he joined USAID.
Fresh from college, Rob earned a summer fellowship in Cape Town where he supported Archbishop Desmond Tutu before the end of Apartheid. It was that experience—fighting on behalf of oppressed peoples and helping strengthen civil society ahead of South Africa’s transition—that forever taught Rob why he does what he does.
The reason why Rob has risen the ranks as an indispensable leader at USAID is because he cares deeply about people, about their dignity, and their well-being. I’ve come to say lately, as we’ve dealt with Afghanistan and Haiti in rapid succession, that USAID is all heart.
Yes we’ve got the rigor. Yes we’ve got the programs. Yes we’ve got the technical expertise. But it is heart that has led us to do the best we can by the Afghan people, by the Haitian people, and by all the people Rob has worked with over the years. Rob, you are the embodiment of the heart that fuels this Agency.
That’s true of the people he serves; it’s also true of the way he leads.
As many of you already know, Rob’s professional and emotional support to his staff are constant—as is his desire to speak directly with them about their experience. I’m told he would conduct staff surveys on a weekly basis if he could, but he resists the urge and instead, before the pandemic, regularly walked the floor to check in and solicit advice from his team members.
Through the earliest and most isolating days of COVID-19, he recorded weekly video messages to his colleagues, providing important updates to the CPS team about what was going on across the Bureau. These videos are something to watch: Four minute recordings, always ending with “a moment of peace, love, and understanding,” like inspiring footage of NASA’s Perseverance Rover touching down on Mars or clips of panda bears playing in the snow.
From day one of this Administration, Rob has had his sights set on success for the CPS Bureau. And he is already bringing his decades of experience to bear. The factors leading to conflict and destabilization around the world are increasingly complex and connected––climate shocks, food insecurity, fragile democracies, violent crime and extremism. With a keen focus on the nature of conflicts and an ability to mobilize resources and expertise in a moment’s notice, CPS Bureau is uniquely positioned to move quickly in order to help stem violent conflict and save lives—what Rob calls “the speed of relevance.”
So when President Biden directed USAID by Executive Order to launch a Northern Triangle Task Force and lead a coordinated, unified, bold, and creative approach to address the root causes of irregular migration, the Bureau jumped into action to assess and address triggers that have been spurring people to leave.
Rob has also been a leader in translating our development insights on the ground into policy recommendations at the highest levels, helping drive the interagency to action in order to stem the spread of extremist violence when it popped up in places like the Sahel.
Rob Jenkins has been preparing his entire career to lead teams of development and conflict prevention professionals who are capable of solving big problems like these––and saving countless lives along the way.
As his wife Carol said best: “Rob is a special person with an enormous heart, a sharp wit, quick analytical skills, and a sincere compassion for the world around him. He loves his family; he loves his friends; he loves his cats; he loves this work.” I am grateful to you, Carol, for giving us Rob, knowing that this is a family endeavor and a family sacrifice. I’m grateful Rob, to you for your compassion, your leadership, and expertise at the ready.
Congratulations, Rob. This is not the pinnacle, it is the next step on your journey, but I’m really hopeful we can draw on all of the years of insights and wisdom and heart that you have brought to all the roles that you’ve occupied so far.
It is now my pleasure to administer the oath of office.