The Foreign Service Journal, January-February 2020

AFSA NEWS THE FOREIGN SERVICE JOURNAL | JANUARY-FEBRUARY 2020 57 THE OFFICIAL RECORD OF THE AMERICAN FOREIGN SERVICE ASSOCIATION AFSA Welcomes Launch of Diplomacy Museum AFSA President Eric Rubin Joins Board AFSA President Eric Rubin has joined the board of the Diplomacy Center Founda- tion, the private-sector part- ner to the U.S. Department of State in creating the National Museum of American Diplo- macy, which announced its name change from the U.S. Diplomacy Center at a gala on Nov. 5. The Nov. 5 event also commemorated the 30th anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall and staged an exhibit next to the large piece of the wall that the museum has in its collection. In addi- tion, the event launched a new “preview exhibit” that will be on display through 2020. Called “Diplomacy Is Our Mission,” it was cre- ated in conjunction with the Smithsonian Institution. It includes stories and arti- facts of American diplomacy with “pods” dedicated to four main themes: security, prosperity, democracy and development abroad. Tours of the exhibit are available every Friday, with timed entry passes available through the museum’s web- site at diplomacy.state.gov. “I have been involved with this project since its inception, and I am thrilled to have the opportunity to join the foundation’s board to help see the museum project to completion,” President Rubin said. “AFSA is glad to be an active part- ner in achieving the vision of the museum’s founders and creators.” The National Museum of American Diplomacy, the first museum dedicated to tell- ing the history, practices and challenges of American diplo- macy, is sched- uled to open in 2022 at the State Department’s headquarters in Washington, D.C. The founda- tion is currently raising funds for completion of Phase 2 of the museum development project. Prior to the installation of the preview exhibit, the Diplo- macy Center hosted rotating exhibits on a wide variety of topics in its 20,000-square- foot pavilion at the south entrance of Main State. From March 2019 through Foreign Service Day in May, AFSA’s Foreign Service Journal Centennial Exhibit, “Defining Diplomacy for 100 Years,” was on display. At the Nov. 5 gala, copies of the November special edition of The Foreign Service Journal , with a focus on the fall of the Berlin Wall through the eyes of U.S. diplomats, were given out to guests. n January 1 New Year’s Day AFSA Offices Closed January 8 12-2 p.m. “The New TSP: What You Need to Know” January 15 12-2 p.m. AFSA Governing Board Meeting January 20 Martin Luther King Jr. Day – AFSA Offices Closed January 23 Webinar: “The View fromWashington” January 29 Retirement Planning 5-10 Years Out February 12 Webinar: “Reviewing Your Retirement Plan” February 17 Presidents’ Day – AFSA Offices Closed February 19 12-2 p.m. AFSA Governing Board Meeting March 16 Deadline: AFSA Scholarship Applications April 8 12-1:30 p.m. “Demystifying the Transportation Process” May 1 Foreign Service Day / AFSA Memorial Ceremony CALENDAR A preview exhibit, “Diplomacy Is Our Mission,” opened in November at the National Museum of American Diplomacy in Washington, D.C. AFSA/CAMERONWOODWORTH