The Foreign Service Journal, January 2010

Last Chance to Apply for FAWCO Scholarships The Federation of AmericanWomen’s Clubs Over- seas Foundation offers education awards that may be of interest to some Foreign Service families. The awards, which range from $3,000 to $5,000, are open to the children of FAWCO members and are offered for arts, sciences, humanities, special challenges and dual cul- ture. Applications are due on Jan. 16. More informa- tion is available at www.fawcofoundation.org/. New Facebook Page for Tandem Couples Foreign Service tandem couples, take heart: there’s a new Facebook group just for you, started by FSO Elisa Greene. When Greene’s husband became a security tech- nical specialist last summer, the couple began dealing with, as Greene explains, “a myriad of issues such as hav- ing different personnel technicians and career develop- ment officers, dealing with separation, trying to get items out of storage, etc.” Greene wanted to create “one loca- tion where tandem couples could go to get answers to their many questions.” The group, entitled “Foreign Service Tandem Couples,” can be used as a forum to ask questions regarding bid- ding, benefits and other issues, and to connect with other tandem couples. The group welcomes same-sex and opposite-sex tandem couples, couples who were once tandems and future tandem couples. “My hope is to use the group as a clearinghouse for tandem-related issues,” says Greene. “At the moment, topics of discussion include relevant Foreign Affairs Man- ual references, available assistance for separated tandems from the Family Liaison Office, useful contacts at State on tandem issues and links to various helpful Web sites.” If you’d like to take part in this group, make a request to join directly from the Facebook group, “Foreign Service Tandem Couples.” 38 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 1 0 A F S A N E W S AFSA NEWS BRIEFS Life in the Foreign Service ■ BY BRIAN AGGELER Staff: Executive Director Ian Houston: houston@afsa.org Business Department Controller Kalpna Srimal: srimal@afsa.org Accounting Assistant Cory Nishi: cnishi@afsa.org Accounting and Administration Assistant Alicia Campi: campi@afsa.org Labor Management General Counsel Sharon Papp: papps@state.gov Deputy General Counsel Zlatana Badrich: badrichz@state.gov Labor Management Specialist James Yorke: yorkej@state.gov Senior Staff Attorney Neera Parikh: parikhna@state.gov Staff Attorney Michael Willats: willatsmr@state.gov Office Manager Christine Warren: warrenc@state.gov USAID Senior Labor Management Adviser Douglas Broome: dbroome@usaid.gov Member Services Member Services Director Janet Hedrick: hedrick@afsa.org Member Services Representative Michael Laiacona: laiacona@afsa.org Web Site & Database Associate Geron Pleasant: webmaster@afsa.org Administrative Assistant Ana Lopez: lopez@afsa.org Communications, Marketing and Outreach Retiree Liaison Bonnie Brown: brown@afsa.org Director of Communications Thomas Switzer: switzer@afsa.org Legislative Director Casey Frary: frary@afsa.org Executive Assistant to the President Austin Tracy: tracy@afsa.org Scholarship Director Lori Dec: dec@afsa.org Exploritas Administrator Bernard Alter: alter@afsa.org Marketing & Outreach Manager Asgeir Sigfusson: sigfusson@afsa.org AFSA HEADQUARTERS: (202) 338-4045; Fax: (202) 338-6820 STATE DEPARTMENT AFSA OFFICE: (202) 647-8160; Fax: (202) 647-0265 USAID AFSA OFFICE: (202) 712-1941; Fax: (202) 216-3710 FCS AFSA OFFICE: (202) 482-9088; Fax: (202) 482-9087 AFSA WEB SITE: www.afsa.org FSJ: journal@afsa.org PRESIDENT: johnson@afsa.org STATE VP: hirschdm@state.gov RETIREE VP: rghoudek@aol.com USAID VP: fzamora@usaid.gov FAS VP: henry.schmick@fas.usda.gov FCS VP: keith.curtis@mail.doc.gov AFSA News Editor Francesca Kelly : kelly@afsa.org (202) 338-4045, ext. 516; Fax: (202) 338-8244 On the Web : www.afsa.org/fsj and www.fsjournal.org How to Contact Us: Governing Board: PRESIDENT: Susan R. Johnson STATE VP: Daniel Hirsch USAID VP: Francisco Zamora FAS VP: Henry Schmick FCS VP: Keith Curtis RETIREE VP: Robert Houdek SECRETARY: F.A. “Tex” Harris TREASURER: Andrew Winter STATE REPS: Carleton Bulkin, Jorge Delfin, Mary Glantz, Les Hickman, Joyce Namde, Julia Stewart, Mike Unglesbee, Sharon White, Teresa Yata USAID REPS: Michael Henning, Glenn Rogers FCS REP: Rebecca Balogh FAS REP: Melinda Sallyards IBB REP: Al Pessin RETIREE REPS: Janice Bay, Robert (Bill) Farrand, David Passage, Molly Williamson Apply Now for AFSA College Scholarships for FS Youth Eligible Foreign Service high school seniors and undergraduate college students are invited to apply for AFSA scholarships ranging from $1,000 to $3,500. Please go to www.afsa.org/scholar to read the scholarship application criteria and to download instructions/forms. Deadline is Feb. 6. If you have questions, please contact Lori Dec at (202) 944-5504 or at dec@afsa.org . -