The Foreign Service Journal, January 2012

48 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 2 A F S A N E W S AFSA NEWS BRIEFS “SERVING ABROAD ... THROUGH THEIR EYES” In 2012, the Department of Defense and the Department of State will recognize and celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Office of ART in Embassies (art.state.gov) through a collaborative photogra- phy exhibition, “Serving Abroad ... Through Their Eyes.” The exhi- bition will serve as a visual record of the experiences of U.S. military and Foreign Service members while abroad. The images — captured from their daily lives showing friendship, places, faces, loss or triumph — will bring their personal perspective and voice to a global audience. Each photograph submitted may be one of up to a thousand se- lected for display in numerous venues, including the Smithsonian American Art Museum, the Pentagon and other prominent loca- tions. Submissions will be accepted through Presidents’ Day, Feb. 20. For full rules and instructions on how to submit an image, please visit www.ourmilitary.mil. A panel of noted American ex- perts will review the photographs and announce the selections on Armed Forces Day, May 19, 2012. The 10 “best in show” photogra- phers will be invited to Washington, D.C., where they will partici- pate in the exhibition’s November VIP opening celebration. AFSA National High School Essay Contest AFSA launched the 2012 National High School Essay Contest on Nov. 15, 2011. This marks the 14th year AFSA has adminis- tered this outreach program, which attracts entries from all over the United States. The goal of the contest is to help educate and familiarize high school students with foreign affairs and the Foreign Service, in particular. Students are required to write an essay on how they, as a diplomat, would improve U.S. relations with selected countries and the United Nations. The winner receives $2,500; an all-expenses-paid trip toWashington, D.C., with their parents to meet the Secretary of State; and a fully funded educational voyage on Semester at Sea. The program is generously sponsored by Booz Allen Hamil- ton and Semester at Sea. The AFSA National High School Essay contest is open to all U.S. citizen high school students. Children of employees of AFSA, Booz Allen Hamilton, Semester at Sea or the U.S. Foreign Service are not eligible. Please direct high school students you may know to our Web site at www.afsa.org \essaycontest for this exciting opportunity. Deadline is April 15. Staff: Executive Director Ian Houston: houston@afsa.org Business Department Director of Finance Femi Oshobukola: oshobukola@afsa.org Controller Kalpna Srimal: srimal@afsa.org Assistant Controller Cory Nishi: cnishi@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 Labor Management Counselor Janet Weber: weber@afsa.org Senior Staff Attorney Neera Parikh: parikhna@state.gov Staff Attorney Raeka Safai: safair@state.gov Staff Attorney Andrew Large: largea@state.gov Office Manager Christine Warren: warrenc@state.gov USAID Senior Labor Management Adviser Douglas Broome: dbroome@usaid.gov USAID Staff Assistant Stefan Geyer: geyer@afsa.org Member Services Member Services Director Janet Hedrick: hedrick@afsa.org Member Services Representative Kristy Pomes: pomes@afsa.org Administrative Assistant and Office Manager Ana Lopez: lopez@afsa.org Communications, Marketing and Outreach Retiree Counseling & Legislation Coordinator Bonnie Brown: brown@afsa.org Director of Communications Thomas Switzer: switzer@afsa.org Director of Policy Edward Dickens: dickens@afsa.org Legislative Assistant Clint Lohse: lohse@afsa.org Executive Assistant to the President Patrick Bradley: bradley@afsa.org Scholarship Director Lori Dec: dec@afsa.org Scholarship Program Assistant Jonathan Crawford: crawford@afsa.org Road Scholar Administrator Asgeir Sigfusson: sigfusson@afsa.org Marketing & Outreach Manager Asgeir Sigfusson: sigfusson@afsa.org Special Awards & Outreach Coordinator Perri Green: green@afsa.org Web and IT Assistant Jeff Lau: lau@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 PRESIDENT: johnson@afsa.org STATE VP: hirschdm@state.gov RETIREE VP: megilroy@gmail.com USAID VP: fzamora@usaid.gov FAS VP: david.mergen@fas.usda.gov FCS VP: keith.curtis@mail.doc.gov AFSA News Editor Donna Ayerst: ayerst@afsa.org (202) 944-5516; Fax: (202) 338-6820 Foreign Service Journal FSJ: journal@afsa.org Editor Steven Alan Honley: honley@afsa.org Senior Editor Susan Maitra: maitra@afsa.org Associate Editor Shawn Dorman: dorman@afsa.org Ad & Circulation Manager Ed Miltenberger: miltenberger@afsa.org Art Director Caryn Suko Smith: journaldesign@comcast.net On the Web AFSA WEB SITE: www.afsa.org FSJ: www.afsa.org/fsj How to Contact Us: Governing Board: PRESIDENT: Susan R. Johnson STATE VP: Daniel Hirsch USAID VP: Francisco Zamora FCS VP: Keith Curtis FAS VP: David Mergen RETIREE VP: Mary Ellen Gilroy SECRETARY: Vacant TREASURER: Andrew Winter STATE REPS: Matthew Asada William Bent Grace Choi Mary Glantz Les Hickman Kenneth Kero-Mentz Kimberly Krhounek Elise Mellinger Joyce Namde David Zwach USAID REPS: Michael Henning Iris Young FCS REP: Steve Morrison FAS REP: Andrew Burst IBB REP: Andre De Nesnera RETIREE REPS: Robert Houdek Edward Marks Hugh Neighbour Molly Williamson The Col. Arthur D. Simons Center for the Study of Interagency Cooperation is sponsoring a nationwide InteragencyWriting Compe- tition. This contest is open to the public and recognizes papers that provide insight and fresh thinking in advancing the knowledge, under- standing and practice of interagency coordination, cooperation and collaboration at the tactical or operational level. Participants are encouraged to submit papers focused on one of two special topics: The interagency role in preventing conflict when dealing with failing or failed states; or the validity of the “whole of gov- ernment” approach in dealing with the full range of homeland and national security threats. First-place winners will receive a certificate, an engraved plaque and a $2,000 cash award, along with inclusion in one of the Simons Center’s publications. Second- and third-place winners will receive $1,000 and $500 cash awards, respectively. A panel of judges will eval- uate the entries on originality, substance of argument, style and contri- bution to advancing the understanding and practice of interagency cooperation at the operational and tactical levels. Manuscripts may be submitted through the Simons CenterWeb site at www.TheSimonsCenter.org/competition or e-mailed to editor@TheSimonsCenter.org wi th the subject line“InteragencyWriting Competition.” The deadline for submitting papers is Friday,March 16. INTERAGENCY WRITING COMPETITION