AFSA President John Dinkelman presents Delegate Krizek and Senator Durant with the AFSA Foreign Service Champions Award.
AFSA / Joaquin Sosa

Foreign Service Champions Award

Virginia State Senator Tara Durant and Delegate Paul E. Krizek: Bipartisan Advocates for Foreign Service Families

Tara Durant

AFSA is proud to recognize Virginia State Senator Tara Durant (R-Fredericksburg) and Delegate Paul E. Krizek (D-Alexandria) with the 2025 Foreign Service Champions Award for their bipartisan leadership in advancing legislation that strengthens and supports Foreign Service families in the Commonwealth of Virginia. Their work exemplifies how state-level policy can have a lasting impact on the lives of U.S. diplomats and their families serving around the world.

Sen. Durant, a former teacher and military spouse, has drawn on her own family’s experience with military service to champion the unique educational needs of Foreign Service children. In 2023 she successfully passed Chapter 783 of the Code of Virginia, providing greater flexibility in school enrollment for the children of federal employees who relocate within the United States. Building on that success, she expanded those protections through SB 1244 (2025), extending eligibility to Foreign Service families returning to Virginia from overseas posts.

She also voted in favor of HJ 206 in 2024, the joint resolution commemorating the Foreign Service centennial in the Virginia General Assembly.

“While our community rightfully acknowledges the sacrifices of military personnel serving overseas, the contributions of civil servants in similar roles are often less visible,” Durant reflected. “It has been incredibly rewarding to help ease the transition for families returning to Virginia and to contribute, in some small way, to their successful reintegration.”

Paul E. Krizek

Del. Krizek, the son of a Foreign Service officer, has long been a steadfast advocate for the diplomatic community. His introduction of HB 1936, now Chapter 329 of the Code of Virginia, established the 90-day rule for in-state tuition eligibility for Foreign Service families. This measure is critical in ensuring educational access and continuity for children whose parents frequently relocate due to overseas assignments. He also introduced HB 1975 and HB 518, aimed at achieving parity between Foreign Service and military retirees in Virginia.

In 2024 Krizek led the introduction and passage of HJ 206, formally recognizing the centennial of the U.S. Foreign Service and honoring its service and sacrifice.

“As the son of a Foreign Service officer, this award is deeply meaningful,” Krizek said. “But even more important is the recognition it gives to our FSOs, who often serve in difficult and dangerous conditions. They and their families make incredible sacrifices in service to our nation, and they deserve our full support.”

Through their efforts, Sen. Durant and Del. Krizek have forged a fruitful bipartisan partnership in support of America’s diplomats, demonstrating that diplomacy is not a partisan cause but a national one. Their work has brought meaningful, tangible benefits to Foreign Service families in education and quality-of-life issues and has increased public awareness of the essential role diplomats play in advancing U.S. interests abroad.

The Foreign Service Champions Award celebrates their shared commitment to honoring and strengthening the Foreign Service, ensuring that Virginia remains a welcoming home for those who represent the United States overseas. Tara Durant and Paul Krizek have set an inspiring, bipartisan example of how state and local action can reinforce national service and uphold the values at the heart of American diplomacy.