Eric Rubin, AFSA President

Biography

Welcome to the AFSA President’s page! The 2021-2023 AFSA Governing Board pledges to do its best to represent the 16,800 members of the association and to leave the Foreign Service as a stronger and more vital institution at the end of our term.

This is not an easy time, and that applies to the Foreign Service in full measure. The impact of Covid-19 continues to be felt, and has been exacerbated by additional challenges such as the CDC dog ban, virtual training, excruciatingly slow security clearance processing and a lack of confirmed leadership at many of our agencies and many of our overseas posts. While we may be past the difficulties of the impeachment process, which had a serious impact on many of our members, we know that the road ahead will not be easy.

Our Governing Board is committed to building on the work and momentum of past boards to ensure we have the 21st-century Foreign Service that our country's needs. Building on bipartisan support in Congress and a positive stance from the current Administration, we must launch a deep and thorough review of all aspects of our career. Our foundational legislation, the Foreign Service Act of 1980, is 41 years old and in need of updating and modernization. Diversity remains a huge concern, as we cannot adequately represent our country with a service lacking in diversity on many levels. AFSA is committed to playing a major role in finding ways to increase diversity, reduce attrition and boost the low morale that is all too common among our members in these difficult times.

For AFSA to be an effective voice of the Foreign Service, and for us to tell our story more convincingly both to the American public and to our Congress, we need your broad and sustained engagement. With this engagement and support, we can continue to develop an AFSA that is a powerful advocate for diplomacy and the Foreign Service. I welcome your comments and suggestions. AFSA's members are more than our eyes and ears around the world – you are a rich source of experience, insights and skills, as well as our motivation. Please feel free to contact me at rubin@afsa.org or our staff at member@afsa.org.

Columns from The Foreign Service Journal

• Accomplishments and Challenges (Jun 2023)
• Cold War Lessons (May 2023)
• Road Safety: A Clear and Present Danger (Apr 2023)
• Back to the Spoils System? (Mar 2023)
• You Are AFSA: AFSA Needs You (Jan-Feb 2023)
• Celebrating—and Strengthening—Constructive Dissent (Dec 2022)
• Can’t Anybody Here Play This Game? (Nov 2022)
• More Diplomacy, Now (Oct 2022)
• Welcome, Director General Bernicat! AFSA Stands Ready to Work with You (Sep 2022)
• Women’s Reproductive Health Must Be a Priority (Jul-Aug 2022)
• The Time for Diplomacy Is Now (June 2022)
• One Foreign Service Family (May 2022)
• The Big Impact of a Small Agency (Apr 2022)
• Those Who Forget History… (Mar 2022)
• Reform for a New Year (Jan-Feb 2022)
• Restoring a Culture of Respect, Starting with the Iran Hostages (Dec 2021)
• We’re All in This Together (Nov 2021)
• The End of an Era: What Lies Ahead? (Oct 2021)
• Reform Can’t Wait: No Time to Waste (Sep 2021)
• A Governing Board Term Unlike Any Other (Jul-Aug 2021)
• Let’s Get It Right This Time (Jun 2021)
• Our Priorities—and Yours (May 2021)
• Taking Care of Our Colleagues—and Ourselves (Apr 2021)
• What We Need Now (Mar 2021)
• A Moment of Hope and Possibility (Jan-Feb 2021)
• Foreign Service Proud: Very, Very Proud (Dec 2020)
• A Message from George Shultz to the Foreign Service (Nov 2020)
• Taking Stock and Looking Ahead (Oct 2020)
• Change Has Come, More Is Coming (Sep 2020)
• Living Up to Our Ideals (Jul-Aug 2020)
• COVID-19 and the Path Ahead (June 2020)
• Foreign Service Duty (May 2020)
• The Legacy of Tex Harris (April 2020)
• The Foreign Service Act at 40 (Mar 2020)
• A Year of Challenge and Opportunity (Jan-Feb 2020)
• Back to the Gilded Age? (Dec 2019)
• We Defend the Foreign Service (Nov 2019)
• We Are Career Professionals Serving Our Country (Oct 2019)
• Progress and New Priorities (Sep 2019)
• Passing the Baton (Jul-Aug 2019)