The Foreign Service Journal, March 2010

50 F OR E I GN S E R V I C E J OU R N A L / MA R CH 2 0 1 0 Staff: Executive Director Ian Houston: houston@afsa.org Business Department 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 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 USAID Staff Assistant Patrick Bradley: bradley@afsa.org Member Services Member Services Director Janet Hedrick: hedrick@afsa.org Member Services Representative Michael Laiacona: laiacona@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 Legislative Director Casey Frary: frary@afsa.org Executive Assistant to the President Austin Tracy: tracy@afsa.org Scholarship Director Lori Dec: dec@afsa.org Scholarship Program Assistant Jonathan Crawford: crawford@afsa.org Exploritas Administrator Bernard Alter: alter@afsa.org Marketing & Outreach Manager Asgeir Sigfusson: sigfusson@afsa.org Special Awards & Outreach Coordinator Perri Green: green@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 AFSA is also seeking a more institutionalized role in the preparation of studies and reports suchas “AForeignAffairsBudget for theFuture,” the jointAmericanAcademyofDiplomacy- Stimson Center study that paved the way to increased resources for the five foreign affairs agencies, and the Academy of AmericanDiplomacy’s proposed analysis of the training and professional development needed by the Foreign Service of the 21st century. Demand for the services of AFSA’s grievance attorneys has grown steadily in recent years and we continue to seek constructive engagement with management. Key committees in the House and Senate invited AFSA to testify in hearings concern- ing Government Accountability Office reports, addressing issues such as mid-level staffing gaps andup-stretches, especially inhard-to-fill posts; deficiencies in language capability and training capacity; the exponential growth in requirements for diplomatic security; and gaps in benefits for civilian federal employees deployed in conflict zones. Testimony is posted on our Web site (www.afsa.org) . 2010 promises to be a year of opportunities. Your Governing Board is committed to strengthening AFSA’s capacity, seekingmore productive cooperationwithmanagement in all five of our agencies and fostering a culture of excellence, teamwork and professionalism. We want to make our Foreign Service the effective agent of U.S. international leadership that ournationrequires, byworking tomake it better supported,more respectedandamore satisfying career choice. Please let us hear fromyouduring this comingyear. Engagedmem- bers make AFSA’s voice stronger. ❏ A Message from Executive Director Ian Houston T he AFSA Annual Report keeps you, our “shareholders,” informed of our overall activities, mem- bership trends and financial health. Our intent is to spotlight keymatters of inter- est to you. 2009 marked the return of AFSA staff, at long last, to the freshly renovat- edheadquarters. Soon after, AFSA said farewell to an excellent Governing Board under the leadership of John Naland, andwewelcomedanewly elect- ed and vibrant board under the direc- tion of Susan Johnson. Throughout the changes, our lead- ership (both the former and the new) and the AFSA staff remained extraor- dinarilydedicated to servingour unique membership. This spirit of commitment and volunteerism extends to the many standing committees of AFSA, as well. As always,we areverygrateful forour members’ support onmany levels, and the staff looks forward to serving you in 2010. Please feel free to contact me at houston@afsa.org anytime. ❏ Life in the Foreign Service BY BRIAN AGGELER