The Foreign Service Journal, April 2019

THE FOREIGN SERVICE JOURNAL | APRIL 2019 49 AFSA Retirees: From International Careers to Local Engagement As part of AFSA’s outreach effort we connect with retir- ees all over the country who generously volunteer their time to share the story of the Foreign Service. This year, the Foreign Policy Association’s Great Decisions program includes the topic “State of the State Department and Diplomacy.” This is an opportunity for retired AFSA members to not only share their expertise on important global issues included in the curriculum, like global migration or the rise of populism, but also to pull the curtain back on the people involved in international diplomacy and development. AFSA has shared its packet of talking points for “State of the State Department” with members from all over the country who are leading and participating in Great Decision groups—let us know if you’d like to use it for your upcoming events. A great way to get involved and make local connections is by joining the Foreign Service Retiree Association (visit afsa.org/retiree-associations to find out if there is one in your area). There are many other internationally minded organizations at the local level, includingWorld Affairs Councils (which often host Great Decisions discussions), Global Ties, United Nations Associations and Sister Cities. AFSAmember and retired FSO Mary Curtin, currently on the graduate faculty at the Humphrey School of Public Affairs at the University of Minnesota, got involved with Global Minnesota, a lead- ing host organization for the International Visitor Leader- ship Program, shortly after retiring from the Foreign Service in 2011. Through Global Minnesota, she has been active in the Great Deci- sions program, and does eight to 10 presentations a year for retirement communities, church groups, high schools and other organizations. Ms. Curtin volunteers her time because she finds it, as she says,“inspiring to see citizens of all ages make the effort to learn about these issues beyond the headlines.” She says that retirees should not be shy about signing up to speak—even if an issue wasn’t their specialty in the Foreign Service, they can still add to the discussion. Remember, she says, many people outside of the D.C. area have never met a member of the Foreign Service and lack awareness about the work we do. Another AFSAmember, Alan Van Egmond, is active in the Great Decisions programwith the Naples Council onWorld Affairs in Naples, Florida. Since retiring fromUSAID in 2017, Mr. Van Egmond has spoken to more than 25 groups on a range of topics highlighting the work of the Foreign Service. When he retired to Florida, Mr. Van Egmond put the word out among friends who con- nected him to organizations interested in locating speak- ers. Since then, he has been invited to speak at schools, churches, local business organizations and groups like Rotary Club and the Ameri- can Association of University Women. He gave the keynote address last year to hundreds of students at the Model United Nations conference. Asked what motivates him, Van Egmond said that his area has a tremendous diversity of experience and attitudes, and he finds satisfaction in leaving people with a positive impres- sion of the importance of the work American diplomats do. He encourages fellow retirees to use AFSA as a resource for talking points and keeping up to date, citing the Daily Media Digest as a “gold mine.” On the opposite coast, retiree Bill Taliaferro volun- teers with the University of Oregon’s Osher Lifelong Learning Institute, which offers continuing education to seniors. He helps to coordi- nate a discussion group on international relations. By incorporating Skype and other teleconferencing technology, he has been able to tap into his network of foreign policy professionals, and he has turned to the AFSA Speakers Bureau to find expert present- ers for the twice-monthly sessions. The group has grown from 20 to almost 75 participants. Mr. Taliaferro says he enjoys staying engaged in for- eign affairs through this effort, tracking down old friends and colleagues as expert present- ers. Finding OLLI members to be “curious, informed, active and interesting people,” he has been gratified to see their “thirst for expert perspec- tive on foreign affairs” and enthusiasm for the content. He recommends seeking out an organization like OLLI as a conduit to meet people and share our foreign relations experiences and expertise with the broader community. Have you connected with a local group since retiring? Please share your work with us: http://www.afsa.org/tell- ing-foreign-service-story n —Christine Miele, Manager, Retiree Outreach and Engagement Alan Van Egmond addressing students at a Model United Nations conference. COURTESYALANVANEGMOND STAY INFORMED. STAY CONNECTED.

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