The blows to America’s diplomatic corps continue. The latest, under the guise of reorganization, resulted in the layoffs of 1,353 State Department staff. This brings us to a 25 percent loss of our diplomatic force since January 2025.

On September 4 at 1:00 p.m. ET, join AFSA President John “Dink” Dinkelman and Rohit Nepal, diplomat and AFSA Vice President - leaders of the professional association representing America’s diplomats - for a candid conversation about what is happening inside the State Department, how the workforce is coping, and what these cuts mean for America’s role in the world.

Bring your questions. This is a rare opportunity to hear directly from those navigating the crisis.

Register Now

Questions? Contact us at ServiceDisrupted@afsa.org.

About the Guests

John “Dink” Dinkelman assumed office as the president of the American Foreign Service Association (AFSA) on July 15, 2025, after a 37-year career with the U.S. Department of State. He held senior leadership roles in the Bureau of Administration and Western Hemisphere Affairs, and served abroad in the Bahamas and Mexico, among other posts. Most recently, he was diplomat-in-residence at Howard University.

Rohit (Ro) Nepal, AFSA’s State Vice President, is a Senior Foreign Service officer who most recently served as Chargé d’Affaires and Deputy Chief of Mission at the U.S. Embassy in Jordan. His previous assignments include postings in Rome, Amman, Pakistan, India, and Mexico, as well as senior roles in Washington. A former attorney and Rusk Fellow at Georgetown, he is the recipient of multiple State Department awards.

About the Series

This event is part of AFSA’s new Service Disrupted virtual series, spotlighting the accelerating institutional challenges facing the Foreign Service.

The events are free and open to the public.