The Foreign Service Journal, January 2006

retiree, long before she considered joining the staff in 2005. She appreciates the opportunity to provide her retired colleagues with the same invaluable assistance AFSA gave her, and to strengthen her connection to a career she truly enjoyed. She also works to increase AFSA’s retiree membership, which benefits both parties. Increased retiree member- ship gives AFSA the means to expand benefits, such as the Consumer Checkbook and an easier-to-read 2006 Directory of Retired Members. It also gives the associa- tion more clout with Congress in advocating on issues important to retirees. Increased membership also allows AFSA to do more outreach to its members on issues of immediate impor- tance, such as the recent supplement on Medicare D. Such a supplement averages about $1,400 to produce and mail. Just about a third of our membership use the Internet, making periodic mailings necessary. Out of a universal Foreign Service retiree population of almost 15,000, slightly over a quarter are AFSA mem- bers. The largest number of retirees, including AFSA members, are concentrated in the Virginia, Maryland and Washington, D.C., region. This past year, AFSA began offering annuitant deduction of membership dues and has launched several recruitment campaigns for new mem- bers that promote annuitant deduction. Active-duty Foreign Service personnel are being encouraged to make the transition into annuitant deduction a part of their retirement plans. AFSA assures retirees that the organization works as hard for them as it does for active-duty members. With the support of Retiree Vice President David Reuther and Retiree Representatives Len Baldyga, Roger Dankert, Larry Lesser and Gil Sheinbaum, prospects are very good for AFSA to serve its retiree members even more effec- tively and efficiently. Remember, we’re just a telephone call or e-mail away, and stand ready to answer questions or mail written materials. We want to help our retirees flex their muscles to show they are no sissies! n F O C U S 22 F O R E I G N S E R V I C E J O U R N A L / J A N U A R Y 2 0 0 6