The Foreign Service Journal, April 2014

48 APRIL 2014 | THE FOREIGN SERVICE JOURNAL The budget music and hand- wringing never seems to stop in Washington, D.C., but the last two to three months has brought some good news to report. This year, the Commercial Service received an increase in funding over 2013 levels, and the federal debt ceiling was raised. By the time you read this, the president’s Fiscal Year 2015 budget will have just come out and hearings will be underway. If (as in the past) AFSA is given the opportunity to comment or testify, we will; but in the meantime, let’s savor the moment. The Commercial Service Fiscal Year 2014 budget contains $23 million for new activities, including $16 million for international operations. Most likely, all of this amount will not find its way overseas, but it’s a good start. Credit the new leader- ship team of Acting Direc- tor General of the U.S. and Foreign Commercial Service Judy Reinke, Acting Assistant Secretary for Global Markets John Andersen and Acting Under Secretary for Interna- tional Trade Ken Hyatt—along with a renewed spirit of com- promise—for the increase. Just as my predecessor Keith Curtis and I fought hard for increased resources during all of the reorganiza- tions and shifting of respon- sibilities, so have AFSA FCS Representative Barbara Farrar and I sought to project a spirit of cooperation and trust, even as everything was shifting around us. Our strat- egy—based on the budget numbers, at least—appears to be working. When asked to comment on the FY 2014 budget, Sena- tor Barbara Mikulski, D-Md., chairwoman of the Senate Appropriations Commit- tee, said: “The Consolidated Appropriations Act puts money in the Commercial Service’s checkbook to hire more people, helps to fill key vacancies in crucial overseas markets, and allows for an increase in training the men and women who are serv- ing their country around the globe. I support the Com- mercial Service so they can support American jobs and products everywhere.” Following the results of the most recent selection boards, many of you have asked, “Why so few Senior Foreign Service, FS-1s and FS-2s promotions?” Basically, for AFSA to support the reorganization, a key condition required eight senior positions in Washing- ton, D.C. Now that that has been done—and with the increased resources—we hope to see the lid lifted a little further to allow for an increase in promotions, as well. One of AFSA’s main tasks is to impress on our decision- makers the importance of flow-through at all levels of the organization. If you take away even one high-grade position, you eventually negatively affect four or five officers at each respective lower grade. As for hiring, a lot will depend on the upcoming Urgent Vacancy Position process and the Commercial Service’s ability to entice individuals on the rank order register to join us. It is a com- mitment well worth making and central to our up-or-out system. n FCS VP VOICE | BY STEVE MORRISON AFSA NEWS Views and opinions expressed in this column are solely those of the AFSA FCS VP. Contact: steve.morrison@trade.gov or (202) 482-9088 The Budget Resource Merry-Go-Round The Commercial Service Fiscal Year 2014 budget contains $23 million for new activities, including $16 million for international operations. Most likely, all of this amount will not find its way overseas, but it’s a good start. Personnel and congressional staff from both sides of the aisle—with a focus on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. The next step was to share the document widely in Washington, D.C. AFSA executed a major media roll- out and received extensive coverage from both domestic and international outlets. The message was clear—all chiefs Guidelines continued from page 45 of mission should be held to the same high standards. During its March 5 meet- ing, AFSA’s Governing Board passed a resolution (avail- able on the AFSA website at http://bitly.com/1ll62Vj) aimed at furthering AFSA’s engagement on the issue of ambassadorial qualifications. This story is by no means over. AFSA’s aim remains the same: to ensure that stake- holders adopt our guidelines and apply them throughout the nomination and confir- mation process. All nominees then share the same starting point and are measured by the same standards. AFSA members have a vested interest in ensur- ing that only the best and brightest are selected to lead embassies abroad. However, the same applies to the public at large, as well as our partners abroad, who deserve qualified interlocu- tors speaking on behalf of the United States. We invite you to follow this issue with us, read the media coverage, learn more about the working group members and access a downloadable version of the guidelines at www.afsa.org/chiefsofmis- sion. n