The Foreign Service Journal, April 2010

58 F O R E I G N S E R V I C E J O U R N A L / A P R I L 2 0 1 0 T here she is —warm smile, beauti- ful face, in a glamorous setting — right on the cover of the April 1996 Society magazine, with the cap- tion: “Christine Warren: Why Mumbai Loves the U.S. Consul General’s Wife.” Turns out “our”Christine, who is of- fice manager for AFSA’s Labor Manage- ment department, has led — and continues to lead — a fascinating life. She’s a Foreign Service spouse, a mother of four and a published author and poet. Christine’s life changed forever when shemet a junior FSOnamed LouisWar- ren, posted on his first assignment as part of a military advisory team. At the time Christine, who had grown up as one of 11 children, was working for the SouthVietnamese government near her hometown in the Thu-Duc district out- side of Saigon. At the end of Louis’ tour, they were married. Since then, Christine and Louis have lived in Muscat, Algiers, Jakarta, New Delhi and Mumbai. They have raised four children: John, Peter, Suzanne and James. Now that her husband is retired and working in the private sector, Chris- tine finds that working at AFSA keeps her in touch with old friends from their FS years. “I was already acquainted withAFSA when my husband was in the Foreign Service,” she explains. “However, when I started working here [inMarch 2000], I realized the full extent of AFSA’s abil- ity to solve problems and to point peo- ple in the right direction for personal as well as professional issues.” Christine has taken AFSA’s mission to heart. “AFSA Labor Management is more than a grievance office,” she de- clares. “It fulfills a vital customer serv- ice function.” “She knows exactly what to say to place a person at ease,” says Deputy General Counsel Zlatana Badrich. “She often goes out of her way to answer questions, having accumulated a wealth of contacts within and around the de- partment through her many years at AFSA and her prior experiences with the Foreign Service.” General Counsel Sharon Papp adds, “If AFSA is the voice of the Foreign Service, Christine Warren is the face of the labor management office. She is the glue that holds us together.” And Exec- utive Director Ian Houston notes that her “pride in her work”and her concern for the well-being of the staff are “qual- ities that are invaluable.” Christine is constantly challenging herself. One of her many passions is keeping Vietnamese traditions alive in her family. “I decided to write poems about my childhood to remind the older generation and to share with the younger,” she explains. Christine’s po- etry has been published in San Diego andWashington, D.C., newspapers. She has also authored a cookbook with recipes she used for representational events overseas. All her children have left the Fairfax, Va., nest, and Christine now enjoys “hanging out” with grandchildren Schuyler, Gwendolyn, Page and Eve. The care with which she cultivates all re- lationships — both familial and profes- sional — is evident when talking to her officemates. “I consider Christine a valued and trusted colleague,” says Badrich, “but more so, a dear and deeply respected friend.” “We are all privileged to have Chris- tine as a colleague,” says Labor Man- agement Specialist James Yorke. “Her many skills —Vietnamese poetry, pho- tography, cooking and, now, crocheting — continue to amaze us. What can be next?” ❏ A F S A N E W S MILESTONES: TEN YEARS AT AFSA Cover Girl: Christine Warren BY FRANCESCA KELLY AFSA NEWS BRIEFS Christine Warren at her desk. SHARON PAPP Manatt Elected President of CAA Ambassador Charles T. Manatt has been elected president of the Council of American Ambassadors, a nonprofit asso- ciation comprised of more than 200 for- mer and incumbent non-career U.S. ambassadors who have served presidents of both political parties. Amb. Manatt, founder of the law firm, Manatt, Phelps & Phillips, LLP, served as the U.S. ambassador to the Dominican Republic from 1999 to 2001. He has also served as chairman of the board of trustees of The GeorgeWashington Uni- versity and is a former chairman of the Democratic Party of the United States. AFSA Keeps You Up to Date Are you signed up to receive our AFSAnet listserv messages? These periodic e-mail announcements keep you up to date on issues affecting you and your career, and also let you know what AFSA is doing on your behalf. Signing up is easy as pie: Simply go to ww.afsa.org/forms/ maillist.cfm, enter your e-mail, and click “subscribe.” Please note that AFSA does not ever sell or share your e-mail address for any purpose.