News from the INPIM Secretariat

The Secretariat of INPIM has undergone dramatic changes over the past several months. At the business meeting held in conjunction with the 4th International Seminar on PIM, INPIM's founding Chairperson, Hatsuya Azumi announced that he would be stepping down from his post and asked the Board of Directors to endorse his replacement, Mr. Francois-Marie Patorni as the new Board Member from the World Bank, and the new chairperson of INPIM. Mr. Patorni was unanimously endorsed as Mr. Azumi's successor and will serve for a two-year term. Mr. Azumi, whose retirement from the World Bank became effective in September 1998, will continue to be active in development consulting, from his home base near Washington, DC. One of his first assignments as a consultant will be to assist new INPIM national chapters to develop strategic plans and become well-established as new organizations.

The new chairperson, François-Marie Patorni, is a French national who has spent most of the past 25 years in the United States, first in pursuing a MBA at the Wharton School of Finance (University of Pennsylvania) and then at the World Bank. Mr. Patorni's primary training is in water resources management. He has received masters degree respectively in Mathematics with specialization in Fluid Mechanics modeling in Physics from the University of Grenoble, and carried out post-graduate studies at the Ecole Nationale des Eaux et Forets (Paris), where he majored in irrigation with complementary doctoral studies in Hydrogeology (Sorbonne, Paris).

By combining his science and management background, Mr. Patorni positioned himself well for the diverse expertise needed to meet the challenges of participatory irrigation management. During his career at the World Bank he was posted in India (1982-84) where he was coordinating the supervision of the Bank's irrigation portfolio, and in Senegal where he was the Bank's Resident Representative from 1988-1992.

Of particular relevance to his role as INPIM chairperson is his work in disseminating the messages of the World Bank's water policy. When it was drafted in 1993, the Bank's water policy represented a substantial departure from past practice. Mr. Patorni took up the challenge of disseminating the message of the policy through a program of national and international seminars, study tours, training material, and support to networks promoting improved water management, including INPIM.

He is currently the Coordinator of the Water Policy Reform Program within the Economic Development Institute, where he oversees training activities across the water sector, including not only irrigation, but also water supply and wastewater, and integrated water resources management. INPIM is indeed fortunate to have Mr. Patorni as our new chairperson!

Along with the new chairperson, comes a new Executive Secretary. The former Secretary, Dr. Peter Sun, decided to step down concurrently with Mr. Azumi, and usher in a new generation of INPIM leaders. Since retiring from the World Bank and from INPIM, Dr. Sun continues to be engaged as a consultant on PIM training activities, most recently directing the training-of-trainers course in Bari, Italy (reported under Network News).

The new Executive Secretary is Dr. Geert Diemer, who is on secondment to the World Bank's Economic Development Institute from his home institution of the Agricultural University of Wageningen, The Netherlands. Dr. Diemer is an anthropologist who has devoted most of his professional life to the challenges of irrigation management. He has conducted fieldwork and published on small-scale farmer-managed irrigation systems in Senegal, and also in Zimbabwe.

Finally, the position of INPIM Coordinator has undergone some changes as well. The regular coordinator, Ms. Kelly Briscoe, is taking time off from her INPIM duties to meet some new responsibilities. Kelly's daughter, Madison was born on July 21, 1998. We are pleased to report that both mother and daughter are doing well. In her absence, the INPIM coordination is being very ably handled by Mr. Lawrence Markowitz. Over then next few months Larry and Kelly will divide up INPIM responsibilities, so you may be in contact with either or both of them.

The only position that remains unchanged is that of Newsletter Editor. David Groenfeldt continues in this role, but I am always open to volunteers willing to take over