The Foreign Service Journal, January-February 2017

THE FOREIGN SERVICE JOURNAL | JANUARY-FEBRUARY 2017 61 DEADL I NE APPROACHES FOR D I SSENT AND PERFORMANCE NOMI NAT I ONS ANNOUNCEMENT AFSA NEWS It’s your last chance to nominate someone for a 2017 AFSA Constructive Dissent or Exemplary Performance Award. The deadline for nominations is Feb. 28, 2017. AFSA proudly recognizes constructive dissent within the systemwith four separate awards: The W. Averell Harriman Award is for entry-level (FS-6 through FS-4) officers; the William R. Rivkin Award is for mid-level (FS-3 through FS-1) officers; the Christian A. Herter Award is for Senior Foreign Service officers; and the F. Allen “Tex” Harris Award is for Foreign Service specialists. Recipients receive prize money and travel expenses to be honored at the June ceremony in the Benjamin Franklin Diplomatic Reception Room at the State Department. More information about each of these awards is available from the AFSAwebsite, www.afsa. org/dissent. AFSA is also accepting nominations for its five awards recognizing exemplary performance until the Feb. 28 deadline.We urge members to nominate some- one whose contribution has made a difference. The Nelson B. Delavan Award recognizes the work of a Foreign Service office management specialist. The M. Juanita Guess Award is conferred on a community liaison office coordinator who has demon- strated outstanding leadership. The Avis Bohlen Award honors the volunteer accomplishments of a family member of a Foreign Service employee at post. The Mark Palmer Award is open to members of the Foreign Service from any of the foreign affairs agencies, especially entry and mid-level personnel, who promote American policies that advance democracy, freedom and governance through bold, exemplary, imaginative and effective efforts during one or more assignments. The Post Rep of the Year Award honors a post rep- resentative who best demonstrates sustained and suc- cessful engagement with AFSAmembership at post. For details on all of the above awards and to file a nomination online, go to www.afsa.org/awards. Contact Coordinator Perri Green at green@afsa.org or (202) 719-9700 for more information. n Congress Passes FY17 State Authorization Bill On Dec. 10, the Senate passed the FY17 Depart- ment of State Authorities Act by unanimous consent. This marks the first time Congress has sent a State Department authorization bill to the White House in 14 years. In meetings on the autho- rization bill with numerous legislators throughout the year, AFSA was encouraged to find robust support on both sides of the aisle for maintaining strong Ameri- can global leadership and an appreciation for the critical role the Foreign Service plays in that effort. At the same time, we made concerted efforts to walk back and/or improve certain sections that we and a vast majority of our members deemed harmful to the career Foreign Service. While there are some items that we would have preferred to have more time and a better process to work out with the new Congress, the State Authorities Act contains positive provisions that make the Foreign Ser- vice stronger. AFSA continues to track a number of issues, including the Overseas Development Program, lateral entry into the Foreign Service and suspension of duties for members with suspended security clearances. One of AFSA’s highest priorities in the coming year is for the new Congress to recognize that protecting American interests abroad requires preserving, protect- ing and investing in one of the primary pillars of our national security—the U.S. Foreign Service. AFSA stands firm in its conviction that any con- sideration of legislation that would affect or alter the integrity of the current Foreign Service personnel system be done through a transparent, orderly and deliberative process that includes ample time for con- sultation with key stakehold- ers. We are grateful for the many allies on Capitol Hill who agree that this is the best way to ensure a strong and effective U.S. diplomacy on behalf of the American people. n