The Foreign Service Journal, April 2007

T he StateDepartment’s annual ForeignAffairsDay celebration is scheduled for Friday, May 4. This is the traditional State Department homecoming forForeignService andCivil Service retirees. Thedepartmentwill send invitations toall thosewhoattend- ed last year’s event, as well as to all new retirees. If you would like to receive an invitation, please sendane-mail asap to foreignaffairs- day@state.gov with your full name, retirement date (month and year), street address, e-mail address and phone number, or con- tact Chryss Hernandez at (202) 663-2383. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice is scheduled to deliver the keynote address and preside over the AFSA Memorial Plaque Ceremony. The ForeignAffairs Day programwill include off-the- record seminars from the regional bureaus on topical foreignpol- American Foreign Service Association • April 2007 AFSA NEWS A P R I L 2 0 0 7 / F OR E I GN S E R V I C E J OU R N A L 59 A FSA bid a fond farewell to SusanReardon inFebruary. Executive director of the association for 14 years, Susan has movedon toapositionas executive director of the National Chamber Foundation. Sentiments expressed during the Feb. 9 celebrationof her tenure at AFSA — on display in song, verse and teary remarks — made clear that Susan has been much more than an executive director to the staff andAFSAoffi- cers. Describedvariouslyas a leader, aman- ager, a mentor, a dear friend, a sister and amother, she truly touched the lives of all those who had the opportunity to work with her. Inher remarks before the approximate- ly 60 colleagues, friends and family mem- bers attending the event atAFSAheadquar- ters, Susan said that it hadbeena great priv- ilege to serve as AFSA’s executive director for so long. She expressed appreciation for theopportunity toworkwith somanyout- standing people in the Foreign Service. Speaking of the strengthof the association, she noted that its greatest asset is not in the building or offices, but in the people who make up the organization. Susan brought a management style to AFSA that is largely responsible for the unusually long tenureof somanyof the staff members. Staffmembers point toher lead- SUSAN REARDON’S 14 YEARS AT THE HELM OF AFSA Fond Farewell to AFSA’s Beloved Executive Director BY SHAWN DORMAN Continued on page 62 Continued on page 65 Inside This Issue: BRIEFS: THE NEW FS EXAM..........................60 VP STATE: IF ONLY ... .....................61 SINCLAIRE LANGUAGE AWARDS ....62 AFSA OUTREACH .............................63 VP RETIREE: DAY ON THE HILL .......64 VP FCS: DOMESTIC SERVICE & PROMOTIONS...................................65 AFSA WINNER HONORED IN BULGARIA ....................................67 Day on the Hill May 3 Details on page 67 Member Services Director Janet Hedrick, Susan Reardon and AFSA General Counsel Sharon Papp at the Feb. 9 farewell event. FOREIGN AFFAIRS DAY MAY 4 Join AFSA for Retiree Homecoming