The Foreign Service Journal, January-February 2023

AFSA NEWS 52 JANUARY-FEBRUARY 2023 | THE FOREIGN SERVICE JOURNAL individuals to ensure that their functions are discharged honestly and with integrity” (such as employees assigned to DS investigative units or those assigned to the OIG). See Section 1012(1) and (2), 22 USC 4112(1) and (2) of the Foreign Service Act. As discussed above, the Foreign Service Act precludes these categories of indi- viduals from participating in labor-management issues while serving on the Govern- ing Board. The Foreign Service Act also imposes a two-year pre- and post- “cooling-off period,” which restricts the movement of Foreign Service employees between certain positions on the AFSA Governing Board and certain Washington, D.C.–based positions. Pre-AFSA restrictions. Any individual who has served: 1) in a management position inWashington in which he or she has engaged in labor-management rela- tions or the formulation of personnel policies and programs; or 2) as a confiden- tial employee to one of these management officials within two years prior to taking office in AFSA, is precluded from participating in labor-manage- ment issues while serving on the Governing Board. Post-AFSA restrictions. Employees who have partici- pated in collective bargaining while serving on the AFSA Governing Board may not serve: 1) in a management position in Washington that involves labor-management relations or the formulation of personnel policies and pro- grams; or 2) as a confidential employee to such manage- ment positions, for two years after leaving AFSA. Members should consider these restric- tions before deciding whether to run for AFSA Governing Board positions covered by these restrictions. Please direct questions regarding this issue to AFSA General Counsel Sharon Papp by email: papp@afsa.org . All other election-related queries should be addressed to the Committee on Elections by email at election@afsa.org . In addition to the above, due to AFSA efforts to educate Congress on issues related to Foreign Service conditions of employment, legislative proposals, and other issues directly impact- ing the Foreign Service, employees serving in congressional fellowships may not serve on the AFSA Governing Board. A con- flict or potential conflict of interest exists between their position in AFSA and their official duties. AFSAmem- bers serving as congressional fellows may run for the AFSA Governing Board provided their fellowship ends before the incoming board takes office on July 15, 2023. Accepting a Nomination 1. A nominee can indicate his or her acceptance of a nomi- nation by written response to the Committee on Elections (using the same addresses indicated above under “Nomi- nating Candidates”). Follow- ing receipt of nominations, an authorized representative of the Committee on Elections will promptly communicate with each nominee (exclud- ing members who nominate themselves) to confirm their willingness to be a candidate. Nominees must confirm their acceptance in writing (using the same addresses indicated above under “Nominating Candidates”) to the Commit- tee on Elections no later than 5 p.m. EST on Feb. 24, 2023. Any nominee whose written acceptance of nomination is not received by the Commit- tee on Elections by this time will be considered to have declined candidacy. 2. All candidates accepting a nomination must identify the position or positions they have filled for the past two years prior to accepting the nomination. All candidates not seeking a full-time AFSA position (President, State VP, USAID VP, FCS VP, FAS VP) must also identify the agency position they will be serving in beginning on July 15, 2023, when the board takes office. This information is necessary to ensure compliance with Section 1017(e) of the Foreign Service Act. Campaigning 1. Campaign Statements. All candidates will be given the opportunity to submit campaign statements for dissemination to AFSA members with the election ballots. Further information regarding such statements and editorial deadlines will be contained in the “Instructions to Candidates,” which will be posted by the Committee on Elections at www.afsa.org/ elections no later than Jan. 15, 2023. 2. Supplementary State- ments . Should candidates wish to mail supplementary statements to the member- ship, AFSA will make its membership mailing list or address labels available to the candidate upon request and at their expense. Further information on this and other campaign procedures will be included in the “Instructions to Candidates”mentioned above. 3. Other Methods of Communication. Depart- ment of Labor require- ments prohibit individuals from using government or employer resources (includ- ing email accounts) to cam- paign for AFSA positions. Voting Each current AFSA member (as of March 3, 2023) will receive a ballot on or about April 3, 2023. Candidates or their representatives may observe the ballot distribu- tion 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 Rep- resentative 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. 15, 2023, or by Continued on page 55