Interview with Mark Alan Zober, July 30, 2022

Interview Summary

Mark Alan Zober served as a Peace Corps volunteer in Sierra Leone, from 1966 through 1968, in the Education Program. He served again in India, from 1969 through 1971, in the Poultry Development Program. From 1995 through 1999 he served as Country Director in Mongolia. Mark was interested in Peace Corps since high school. He applied after graduating from San Diego State University, and was selected for Sierra Leone training cohort 10. Training, including Krio language, was conducted at Roosevelt University in Chicago. Mark was assigned to teach at a boarding school in Magburaka. He taught several subjects, coached sports, and started an agricultural club. After returning home and teaching in New York for a year, Mark volunteered again, posted to Bharatpur, Rajasthan, India. His cohort, India 57, trained in Hemet California. He made many good relationships with local counterparts, and worked with the Deputy Minister of Agriculture to produce a 5 Year Plan for Poultry Development. Among many things, Peace Corps taught Mark self-reliance, and respect for other cultures. Later in his career Mark accepted the Peace Corps Director position in Ulaanbaatar Mongolia. There he established good relationships with local partners and government officials, forming an unofficial “Mongolian Society for International Development” that met monthly over dinner. He developed a 5 Year Plan for Peace Corps Mongolia, and grew the program from 20 to 80 PCVs. He has been closely involved with RPCV alumni groups in the U.S., and served on the Board of Directors of the National Peace Corps Association.

Interview Keyword

Peace Corps (U.S.) Sierra Leone (country of service) 1966-1968 (date of service) SL10 (training cohort) Peace Corps Volunteer Job: Education Magburaka (site) India (country of service) 1969-1971 (date of service) Peace Corps Volunteer Job: Agriculture, Poultry Development Bharatpur, Rajasthan (site) India 57 (training cohort) Mongolia (country of service) 1995-1999 (date of service) Peace Corps Job: Country Director Ulaanbaatar (site) Peace Corps (U.S.)--1960-1970 Peace Corps (U.S.)--1970-1980 Peace Corps (U.S.)--1990-2000 Peace Corps (U.S.)—Management Peace Corps staff

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