Carroll County Budget Director Steven D. Powell is an experienced and polished public speaker, but he's nervous about his next engagement.
The stint will be in Russia.
"I remember when Russia was more of a threat. We were threatened by 'the bear.' And now I'm going over there," he said.
Mr. Powell leaves Friday for a two-week trip during which he and government budget officials from around the United States will try to teach their Russian counterparts about the budget process in a democratic system.
Mr. Powell will travel with a 26-member delegation organized by the Citizen Ambassador Program in Spokane, Wash. He was chosen because of his work with the Government Finance Officers Association, a Chicago-based group. He is the only Marylander in the delegation.
The visitors will speak to local government officials in Moscow, St. Petersburg and Tallinn, a city in Estonia.
"I'm really excited about the opportunity to go over there," said Mr. Powell, who has been the county's budget director for seven years.
He said he's anxious about speaking, in part because his presentations will be translated into Russian as he talks, and because the sessions will be in "grand buildings."
He said he will be interested to learn the challenges local government officials there face. Carroll County faces obstacles, such as how to afford to build enough schools to handle the growing population, he said.
"But I'm sure our challenges will pale in comparison to theirs," Mr. Powell said.
Many cities and towns must build basic infrastructure, such as roads and sewer systems, he said.
Mr. Powell plans to speak about how to estimate revenue and manage debt.
A public affairs professor from Pennsylvania State University, Jack Rabin, will lead Mr. Powell's delegation.
Barbara E. Wagoner, director of delegation support for the Citizen Ambassador Program, said many people have been interested in participating in the program because of the dramatic changes in Russia and Eastern Europe in recent years.
The program has been sending delegations of professionals to countries around the world for 32 years, Ms. Wagoner said. The professionals are trained in architecture, agriculture, business and finance, education, medicine, law and computer science. They have traveled to China, Eastern Europe and Australia, among other countries, she said.
Each year, the program sends about 125 delegations with 20 to 35 members each on 14- to 17-day trips, she said.
Participants open the lines of communication with their colleagues around the world, Ms. Wagoner said.
"The end result is better understanding internationally," she said.
The Citizen Ambassador Program is an arm of People-to-People International, which is based in Kansas City, Mo., and was founded by President Dwight D. Eisenhower in the mid-1950s. The goal was to bring people together to learn from each other, she said.
Mr. Powell said he has learned some Russian phrases such as hello, goodbye and "I am an American. Where's the embassy?" An interpreter will travel with the delegation.
He'll also be prepared for the weather. He said he was told "to be prepared for cold as you've never experienced cold." The temperature is likely to be 17 degrees during the day, and snow is on the ground.
One of the first things he'll do is buy a fur hat, Mr. Powell said.
He said he also has been warned to bring his own water to avoid stomach ailments.
He plans to carry two 1-liter bottles of water and drink mostly coffee, tea and some vodka.
The group will travel by train in Russia and will spend five days in Moscow, five in St. Petersburg and four in Estonia.
The trip will cost $4,500. Carroll County will pay half the expense; the rest will come from a grant and his own pocket, Mr. Powell said.
He will return Dec. 23 -- with his Christmas shopping finished, he said.