The Foreign Service Journal, January-February 2021

58 JANUARY-FEBRUARY 2021 | THE FOREIGN SERVICE JOURNAL Reaching New Audiences: A New Year Challenge AFSA’s public outreach cam- paign continues in the new year with renewed energy. Since the campaign’s offi- cial launch in September, we have been working to grow our networks of community colleges and strategic part- ners to broadcast our mes- sage about the importance and relevance of the work of the Foreign Service. We called on members to mobilize and are impressed by the response: 40 have now been trained as mes- sengers for the campaign. But we need more help, especially from retired members, if we are to achieve our goal of reaching new audiences. To this end, AFSA is chal- lenging retired members to reach out to at least one local community college and/or community organiza- tion and at least one outside of your own community (now that the world is vir- tual) with the offer to share your story and the work of the Foreign Service. The champion(s) with the highest number of engagements—responses and scheduled or com- pleted presentations—will be recognized by AFSA and admired by colleagues. The challenge ends on May 7, Foreign Service Day. Please send your updates and activities to AFSA Stra- tegic Messaging Coordina- tor Nadja Ruzica at ruzica@ afsa.org. For help getting started, please visit afsa.org/first- line-defense for helpful resources such as the Community College Finder. Please also visit our new webpage, designed for new audiences: afsa.org/about- foreign-service. Check out our latest video, Bring- ing Americans Home, on YouTube, at https://bit.ly/ bringingamericanshome. And consider following AFSA on social media. Through our joint efforts we build support for the Foreign Service, which is all the more important in this moment as the nation and the world consider the future of American diplo- macy. Thank you for doing your part. n 3. Other Methods of Communication. Department of Labor requirements prohibit indi- viduals from using govern- ment or employer resources (including email accounts) to campaign for AFSA posi- tions. Voting Ballots will be distributed on or about April 26, 2021, to each regular AFSA member as of March 26, 2021. Can- didates or their representa- tives may observe the ballot distribution process if they so desire. Each member may cast one vote for President, Secretary, Treasurer and, in addition, one vote for a constituency Vice President and each Representative position in the member’s constituency. Regular members may cast their votes for candi- dates listed on the official ballot, or by writing in the name(s) of member(s) eli- gible as of Feb. 12, 2021, or by doing both. To be valid, a ballot must be received by 8 a.m. on June 10, 2021, either (i) at the address indicated on the envelope accompany- ing the ballot or (ii) by online vote. More detailed balloting instructions will accompany the ballots. Vote Counting and Announcement of Results On or about June 10, 2021, the Committee on Elections will oversee ballot tabula- tion and declare elected the candidate receiving the greatest number of votes for each position. Candidates or their representatives may be present during the tally and may challenge the validity of any vote or the eligibility of any voter. Note that due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, in-person ballot counting may assume a different form during this election cycle. The committee will inform candidates individu- ally of the election results by the swiftest possible means Call for Nominations Continued from p. 57 and will publish the names of all elected candidates in the next issue of The Foreign Service Journal. Elected can- didates will take office on July 15, 2021, as mandated in the bylaws. Committee on Elections members and support- ing staff members may be reached at election@afsa. org. Committee on Elections Members Erin Nicholson (USAID, chair), Mort Dworken (retiree), Marcia Friedman (State), Dao M. Le (FCS), Rodney LeGrand (State). Staff Members: Ásgeir Sigfússon, Executive Direc- tor; Sharon Papp, General Counsel. n AFSA NEWS