The Foreign Service Journal, March 2012

40 F O R E I G N S E R V I C E J O U R N A L / M A R C H 2 0 1 2 • Preserved Overseas Comparability Pay at 16.52 percent for 2012 • Engaged with management for effective QDDR imple- mentation in a way that strengthens the Foreign Service • Protected USAID operating expenses against House- proposed cuts • Aligned USAID entry-level starting salaries more closely with those at State • Supported successful efforts to boost Foreign Commer- cial Service funding • Acted early to pave the way for passage of the Civilian Service Recognition Act, which authorizes the provision of American flags for members of the Civil Service and Foreign Service killed in the line of duty • Supported passage of the Foreign Service Death Gratu- ity Act, which increases life insurance benefits for FS per- sonnel killed in war zones • Increased Labor Management office staffing to aid in handling more than 400 individual requests for assistance a week and processingmore than 200 cases pending in various agency offices or before the Foreign Service Grievance Board • Certified 40 percent more post representatives in 2011 than in 2010. Image and Outreach. 2011 was AFSA’s busiest outreach year ever, with significantly more events, communications with members and online engagement. Important in their own right, such activities support the vision of increased membership participation and feedback, higher voter turnout and increased retiree membership. Toward that end, we: • Launched AFSA’s newWeb site in February • Expanded our use of social media outlets such as Face- book, Twitter and YouTube • Recognized pioneering diplomat Ambassador Rozanne Ridgway for her lifetime of service and many other out- standing Foreign Service personnel and community mem- bers at AFSA’s annual Awards Ceremony • Produced 20 programs focusing on foreign policy, bread-and-butter issues and diplomatic history, including AFSA Book Notes programs, expert panel discussions and historical commemorations • Provided more than 500 Foreign Service speakers na- tionwide, reaching more than 30,000 people, including the 5th annual Marshall Adair Family Lecture at American Uni- versity in whichAmbassador Nicholas Burns addressed“The Challenges Facing Today’s Foreign Service” • Attracted wide media coverage of AFSA’s “30th An- niversary of the Release of the Iran Hostages” program in January and the “Rally to Serve America” • Appeared on NPR’s Kojo Nnamdi program in Septem- ber, focused on Foreign Service issues • Published the third edition of Inside a U.S. Embassy: Diplomacy at Work , by our FS Books division, which has already sold more than 12,000 copies • Engaged more than 500 students and young profes- sionals in FS Books and career events. Professionalism and Effectiveness. The Governing Board envisioned anAFSA consultative role with FSI, greater recognition of the importance of continuing professional education and training, a sustained and adequate training float, greater management commitment to hiring retired FS personnel rather than contractors, and a revitalized dissent program embracing more active-duty professional writing for publication. Among initiatives in 2011, we: • Advocated for institutionalization of a greater commit- ment by State and the other foreign affairs agencies to the professional development of our active-duty members, both in terms of 21st-century issues and tradecraft • Participated with the AmericanAcademy of Diplomacy and the Stimson Center in funding and preparing the report, “Forging a 21st-Century Diplomatic Service for the United States through Professional Education and Training” • Made several appearances before the Senate and House Government Oversight Committees to emphasize the im- portance of investing in professional education and training for Foreign Service employees • Explored professional issues facing the Foreign Service through the “President’s Views” columns: “Diplomacy after 9/11,” “Ambassadors as the Linchpins of Field Diplomacy” “Revolutions Test Diplomacy,”“WikiLeaks and Diplomacy” and “Time for a Foreign Service Reserve Corps” • Called for reinstitution of the Open Forum. Membership and Development. Membership dues make up the key portion of AFSA’s revenues; we are devel- oping other sources as well. AFSA continues to work to re- cruit and retain active-duty and retiree members from all constituencies. In 2011, we: • Hosted more recruitment events than ever before • Introduced online fundraising in addition to our regu- lar mail-based solicitations • Forged relationships with Booz AllenHamilton and Se- mester at Sea in support of our National High School Essay Contest; and a new lecture series on the future of diplomacy and development, funded by Booz Allen Hamilton. ANNUAL REPORT American Foreign Service Association 2011 A F S A N E W S