AMIGOS: How did your involvement in AMIGOS impact your life?

Arnold: Amigos de las Americas (AMIGOS) ignited my passion and prepared me for my diplomatic career and lifestyle. I gained invaluable experience in AMIGOS negotiating agreements with local and national host government health officials.  I also had hands-on experience learning and developing the fundamentals of teamwork, organization, leadership and management — a skill set that has been central to my work as a diplomat.   

AMIGOS: How did you hear about AMIGOS and what inspired you to join?

Arnold: My mother read a feature on AMIGOS in the local Denver Post newspaper and encouraged me to apply.  I was attracted by the possibility of exotic travel and of having significant responsibility and trying to make a difference as a teenager.  

 

AMIGOS: What was your AMIGOS experience like, and what did you learn from your participation? 

Arnold: AMIGOS was a defining moment in my youth; in so many ways it was the most challenging thing that I have ever done. It imbued in me a sense of purpose, values and confidence that helped shape who I am today. I learned through Amigos that every person can make a huge difference in the lives of others and in the process be rewarded so many times over.  I also was moved by the unconditional support and kindness I received from the locals we served in our communities and by the camaraderie and life-lasting friends I made with my fellow AMIGOS Volunteers and supporters.

 

AMIGOS: What is your favorite AMIGOS memory?

Arnold: During my first tour in Nicaragua, I was asked to assist a local medical intern who was delivering a baby in the Centro de Salud where I was living.  It would be years before I did anything as meaningful or rewarding.

 

AMIGOS: What is your family like? 

Arnold: My immediate family is a close-knit unit that has moved back and forth between Washington and abroad for over 25 years.  My wife, originally from Honduras, worked for the United Nations Development Program and more recently as a specialist for the U.S. Foreign Service. My eldest daughter is a Philosophy and Economics major who plans to attend law school after a gap year living and working in Madrid.  My middle daughter, aged 17, was an AMIGOS Volunteer in 2007 in Morelia, Mexico and will enter the College of William and Mary in the fall.  My son, aged 13, is a rabid sports fan, passionate guitar player, and prospective AMIGOS Volunteer.  

 

AMIGOS: In what ways did your AMIGOS experience influence your career path? 

Arnold: I contemplated studying medicine after my first couple of AMIGOS Volunteer experiences, but changed my mind after meeting a U.S. diplomat in Mexico. I also wanted to spend significant periods of my life living abroad, and the U.S. Foreign Service afforded me that opportunity. I’ve worked much of my career in Latin America. Additionally, as Deputy Executive Secretary of Secretary Condoleezza Rice’s Executive Secretariat I organized her travels and accompanied her to many parts of the world, including Russia, the Middle East and East Asia.  

 

AMIGOS: Are you passionate about Latin American affairs or the Spanish language?

Arnold: I’m absolutely passionate about Latin America and Spanish.  As a diplomat, I have been posted to Mexico, Honduras, Ecuador, Peru and Chile (as well as the United Nations, Italy and Spain).  I also have had responsibility from the U.S. Department of State in Washington DC for U.S. missions in the Andes and Central America. 

 

AMIGOS: What role does AMIGOS have in your life now?

Arnold: My child was a recent Volunteer in Mexico, so I was active in the Washington, D.C. chapter.  I also have kept in touch with the AMIGOS International Office President Emily Untermeyer as well as with good AMIGOS friends such as Toby Spoon and Lynn Nussle Krog.  

 

AMIGOS: What is the most compelling change in the AMIGOS organization since your participation? 

Arnold: I’m impressed that AMIGOS has expanded its scope and breadth of work and countries. I also like that Amigos seeks to develop the spirit of local volunteerism in Latin American youth.

 

AMIGOS: What project are you currently working on? 

Arnold: Presently, I am guiding the preparation of briefing papers on the issues of importance to U.S. interests in Spain for the incoming administration of President Barack Obama. Until a new ambassador to Spain is chosen and confirmed by the U.S. Senate, I will serve as the acting ambassador and have the full responsibility for the direction, coordination, and supervision of some 380 U.S. executive branch employees in Spain and Andorra.