The Foreign Service Journal, February 2010

54 F O R E I G N S E R V I C E J O U R N A L / F E B R U A R Y 2 0 1 0 coordinator whom anyone inter- ested should contact. There does need to be a central compilation of WAE opportunities that is transparent to job-seeking re- tirees. The non-transparent man- agement of these positions by each bureau is understandable from the point of view of decentralized ap- pointing (one year at a time, by the way), hiring and funding. But as presently constituted, the program seems designed to make it almost impossible for an interested retiree to find out what jobs might be available. Mort Dworken Falls Church, Va. D ON ’ T B E T OO I NSULAR Upon leaving the Foreign Service, I did some WAE work in the Bureau of Intelligence and Research and was on the AFSA staff for 13 years, including two years of telecommuting as coordinator of AFSA Elderhostel pro- grams from my new location in the gated Lake Wildwood development in rural Nevada County, Calif. But, in 2005, I made a break with the Foreign Service part of my life in order to become totally involved here, helping our com- munity of 6,000 residents to benefit from best practices I had learned elsewhere. In 2007, I was named Lake Wildwood Citizen of the Year; and in 2009 I was elected to our board of directors. The board is the governing body of this vibrant community which, if incorporated, would be the third-largest city in the county. This year I also had major roles in our two local theatrical productions (Lenny in Neil Simon’s “Rumors” and Billis in “South Pacific”) and did some local WAEwork for the Census Bureau. My wife, Diana, and I settled in this area because it of- fered the forest and lake environment of my native New Hampshire (minus the snow and mosquitoes) in her na- tive California (although 400 miles from her L.A. home). But the real appeal was the chance to put down roots in a congenial environment far removed from the Beltway and international cultures. My activism here in this land of militant Republicans and Democrats definitely benefits from the ability of the Foreign Service to see the big pic- ture and not define things in black and white. But I would like to ad- vise future retirees that it is good for the soul to step away and realize that the Foreign Service itself might be a little too insular for its own good. Although we all sub- scribe to thinking outside the box, it is important to realize just how far out of the box it is possible to go and still be in the American mainstream. Ward Thompson Penn Valley, Calif. I T ’ S A LL A BOUT N ETWORKING Change is daunting, even scary. Fortunately, one of the things a Foreign Service career teaches us is flexibility. The three key things post-retirement life has taught me are: (1) keep your life balanced between paid or volun- teer work and other activities; (2) be willing to take on something you never thought of; and (3) keep in mind that it’s all about networking. Every job I’ve gotten was thanks to a former Foreign Service colleague. Unfortunately, until they are funded from the central personnel budget instead of the resources of each bu- reau, WAEs — especially public diplomacy officers — are likely to remain the last resort to fill staffing gaps, even though they have much to offer. I hope AFSA will work to advocate a change in this arrangement, along with the many other limitations that hamper WAEs. Not all contractors are the same. Some, but not all, offer 401(k) plans with employer contributions and other benefits. There are also substantial differences in man- agement style: for some, the focus is on the bottom line; while others recognize that showing appreciation, even in small ways, makes a difference in morale and produc- tivity. Here are some options that I’ve successfully tried: WAE-type work with another agency. A former Foreign Service boss recruited me as a WAE-like re- servist with the Federal Emergency Management Agency (we were called SAEs, or “Stafford Act Employ- ees”). At the time, FEMA was particularly eager to find fluent Spanish speakers to do public affairs field work, so F O C U S It is good for the soul to step away and realize that the Foreign Service itself might be a little too insular for its own good.