Mr. Goldberg goes to Iraq

Former Houston City Council Member Mark Goldberg has a new gig.

[Goldberg] will work as a local governance adviser for RTI International, a North Carolina nonprofit research and development organization that works in Iraq and other countries.

RTI employs 79 Americans in Iraq and 500 Iraqis and has operated there since 2003.

“What we’ve really worked to do is put in place the fundamental building blocks of a local government structure,” said Patrick Gibbons, an RTI spokesman.

Goldberg will coach and mentor Iraqi leaders of regional councils about how to develop democratic local governments.

He will help leaders draft budget plans and develop a plan for holding elections so Iraqi citizens have more influence over their local governments.

Working with Iraq’s tribal councils, Goldberg will try to teach them how to build roads, libraries and parks, among other projects.

“If you want to have a stable government in the Middle East, you have to start at all levels and not just at the national levels, but on the local levels,” said Goldberg. “I think they’ve (U.S. government) come to realize that regime change is very difficult from the top down.”

I wish him nothing but success in this new endeavor.

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One Response to Mr. Goldberg goes to Iraq

  1. Michelle Morales says:

    I used to work with Mark years ago when he was with Garland D. McKinnis and Henry L. Burkholder. Would you happen to have an address for him or know anyone that does? I can’t believe he went to Iraq! I just came across the news and this happened last year, wow! Anyways, I would love to get in touch with him.

    Thank you,
    Michelle Morales

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