Governing Board


Members of the 2023-2025 AFSA Governing Board

The AFSA Governing Board is elected by the membership every two years and is composed of representatives from each AFSA constituency. The entire membership elects three officers - President, Treasurer, and Secretary. Each constituency then casts votes for its agency or retiree Vice President and representative positions. Currently, the board has 21 members - in addition to the three officers, there are five Vice Presidents (State, USAID, FAS, FCS, and retiree), six State representatives (one of whom is full-time), one representative each for USAID, FAS, FCS, USAGM and APHIS, and two retiree representatives. Click here for more information about AFSA elections. The board's constitution is governed by the AFSA bylaws. It has been the policy of AFSA boards to seek to be as diverse and representative as possible. The current board’s term ends on July 14, 2027.

The basic responsibilities of a governing board are to set the mission and purpose of the organization, ensure effective planning, select/support and evaluate the chief executive, monitor and strengthen programs and services, ensure adequate financial resources, protect assets and provide financial oversight, build a competent board, ensure legal and ethical integrity and to enhance the organization's public standing. AFSA Governing Board position descriptions can be found at the bottom of this page.

The Board represents the entire AFSA membership and encourages comments and suggestions from people in the field. If you are a member of AFSA, we hope you will also consider serving on a future AFSA Governing Board, working on behalf of your colleagues for a two-year term. Click here for bios of the Board members.

President John DInkelman
Secretary Sue Saarnio
Treasurer John K. Naland
State Vice President Rohit Nepal
USAID Vice President Randy Chester
FCS Vice President Jay Carreiro
FAS Vice President Vacant
Retiree Vice President Hon. John O'Keefe
Full-Time State Representative Sandra (Castillo) Abrahamsen
State Representatives hannah draper
Donald Emerick
Connor Ferry-Smith
Christina Higgins
Stephanie Straface
USAID Representative Austan Mogharabi
FCS Alternate Representative Joshua Burke
FAS Alternate Representative Vacant
USAGM Representative Gunter 'Eric' Schwabe
APHIS Representative Joe Ragole
Retiree Representatives Hon. Michael Kirby
Julie Nutter

What Are the Duties of Governing Board Members?