Peter Loans Letter (posted on the wall in the Founderâ's Room at
the reunion).

Hello Chris,

Thanks so much for all the work you have done to keep us in touch and
motivated!  I am glad the reunion was a great success and am
disappointed that I was not able to be there.  I will look forward to
the next one.  By the way, I understand there are preparations
underway for the 100th anniversary of MKL.  Perhaps this will offer an
opportunity to get together even sooner?

I, and Harry Coffey, who was, I recall, a year behind our class, were
the first to be selected for the two year field program (we went to
Tanzania) prior to ordination (1968-1970).  When I returned from
Tanzania in August of 1970, our classmates had already been ordained.
I was ordained in the following year, 1971. When I left Maryknoll in
1972 I had no definitive plan.  I went to Boston and got a job as a
taxi driver (the only job I ever got fired from!)  Lou Haag graciously
co-signed a lease for an apartment in Boston, as I had no credit.
Then a high school buddy was instrumental in getting me a job with the
City of Boston as a grant writer.  From there I worked for the State
(Commonwealth) of Massachusetts, directing a state wide educational
program.

 In 1976, I joined the Peace Corps and went to Kinshasa as the
 administrator of the country program in Zaire (now the Democratic
 Republic of the Congo).  From that time until 2002, my focus was on
 international development and exchange.  I worked with Sister Cities
 International as the director of international grants program, and
 with Peace Corps as Chief of Administration, Director of Planning,
 Policy and Analysis and Director of the Africa Region.  My wife and I
 formed a management and training firm in 1981, and we a have offered
 training and organizational development services to a variety of
 educational, health and international organizations. All of this took
 me to about 45 countries around the world (the most exotic being
 Papua New Guinea!)

I retired from the federal government in 2002 and put more time into
training of federal, state, local and non-profit personnel in issues
such as critical thinking, decision making, strategic planning,
leadership development, and, with Mike Marquardt, Action Learning.
Also with Mike, I authored two books, one on international human
resource development and one on mentoring; and have written a couple
of journal/ encyclopedia articles on human development and knowledge
management.

Both my children are doing well and both have been blessed with
children.  My daughter is a clinical social worker and works for
Fairfax County VA; my son is a captain and commander of a Mongomery
County (MD) police district.  Our grandchildren are 13, 11, and 4.  We
get to see them frequently.

In addition to the enormous impact that so many Maryknollers had on me
with respect to the Christian virtues, the spirit of inquiry
engendered by the Maryknoll experience has been an enduring presence.
The tales of so many from so many places around the world created in
me a realization that there are indeed a multitude of good answers to
the worlds most pressing problems.  This spirit has enlivened all of
the work experience I mentioned above, and continues to drive me to
read broadly in history, world studies, theology and science (that is,
when I am not puttering in my garden:)

When in town (Washington DC area) I get together for a monthly lunch
with former Maryknollers, and try to keep up with news thanks to the
wonderful work of Tom Fenton.  When you come to the Washington area,
be sure to look me up.