The Foreign Service Journal, January 2013

THE FOREIGN SERVICE JOURNAL | JANUARY 2013 7 he purpose of this column is to encourage you to seriously consider running for elec- tion to the 2013-2015 AFSA Governing Board, either as president or a constituency vice president. These are all full-time jobs that carry significant responsibilities and opportunities for measurable accomplishment on behalf of the Foreign Service and its members, and for strengthening our professional asso- ciation and union. If you care about the Foreign Service and want a voice in its future, it is time to engage—and the AFSA Governing Board provides an excellent platform. The Department of State and the U.S. Agency for International Develop- ment, premier foreign affairs agencies 50 years ago, no longer appear to be at the center of foreign and development policy formulation. Their roles are increasingly eclipsed in policy implementation, as well. Despite recent growth, the Foreign Service constitutes a shrinking pro- portion of the foreign affairs agencies, particularly of their leadership. AFSA’s voice is needed to identify and advocate for the cultural and organiza- tional changes that will make the Foreign Service and American diplomacy strong er, shifting from reactive to innovative, from resisting change to embracing and shaping it, and from ignoring the need for new approaches to professional education and training to seeking them out and valuing them. The AFSA president deals directly with senior officials across all member agencies; navigates formal and informal relationships across the foreign affairs community; briefs members of Congress and top staffers, and testifies before congressional committees; gives on-the- record interviews and provides back- ground briefings to major media; and seeks opportunities for public speaking. It’s a high-visibility position that calls for strong written and oral communication skills, as well as political and diplomatic savvy to manage the issues that come before a diverse, 27-member board. The AFSA president works in close partnership with the executive direc- tor and more than 30 professional staff to oversee an annual operating budget in excess of $4 million, a scholarship trust fund of $5 million, and vigorous and expanding advocacy, membership recruitment, publications and profes- sional events programs. AFSA is midway through what is likely to be a decade-long transformation process to strengthen capacity by modernizing and profes- sionalizing operations to better serve our members and the Foreign Service. In the Foreign Service Acts of 1946 and 1980, Congress specified that a “career Foreign Service characterized by excellence and professionalism is essential and in the national interest.” It also stipulated that it must be “preserved, strengthened and improved to carry out its mission effectively in response to the complex challenges of modern diplo- macy and international relations.” If you believe that these exhortations were prescient and are even truer today, then seek the presidency of AFSA or another position on its Governing Board. If you want to give back to a career that has enriched you immeasurably, AFSA offers that opportunity. If you want a stronger professional Foreign Service, better equipped for the challenges of contemporary diplomacy, better profes- sionally educated and trained, better led and managed, and better resourced by Congress, then service on the Governing Board gives you an opportunity to advo- cate for these goals. Like many of you, for most of my career I never thought much about the role or responsibilities of the AFSA Gov- erning Board, much less about running for office. Now that I am completing my second term as AFSA’s president, I have found these four years highly satisfying and rewarding, both personally and professionally. Now, more than ever, AFSA needs to speak with a clear, strong voice. We need the best of the Foreign Service to step for- ward to lead and govern our association and union, and to fortify our advocacy with management, our political leaders in the executive and legislative branches, and with the American public. Please visit www.afsa.org/elections for information about how to run for AFSA office. You are also welcome to contact me at johnson@afsa.org. n AFSA Needs Strong Leaders BY SUSAN R . JOHNSON PRESIDENT’S VIEWS Susan R. Johnson is the president of the American Foreign Service Association. T