The Foreign Service Journal, April 2017

AFSA NEWS CALENDAR THE OFFICIAL RECORD OF THE AMERICAN FOREIGN SERVICE ASSOCIATION THE FOREIGN SERVICE JOURNAL | APRIL 2017 47 April 4 12-1:30 p.m. Town Hall with AFSA Governing Board Candidates April 5 12-1:30 p.m AFSA Governing Board Meeting April 6 Luncheon: 145th Specialist Class April 6 2-3:30 p.m AFSA Book notes: The Dust of Kandahar by Ambassador (ret.) Jonathan Addleton April 10 Luncheon: 13th Consular Fellows Class April 12 Luncheon: 190th A-100 Class April 23-28 AFSA Road Scholar Program May 3 12-1:30 p.m. AFSA Governing Board Meeting May 5 Foreign Service Day/AFSA Memorial Plaque Ceremony May 29 Memorial Day: AFSA Offices Closed June 7 12-1:30 p.m AFSA Governing Board Meeting June 20 4-6 p.m. AFSA Awards Ceremony AFSAWelcomes the New Secretary of State On Feb. 2, the newly con- firmed Secretary of State, Rex Tillerson, addressed Department of State employ- ees at the Harry S Truman building in Washington, D.C. In his welcome speech, Secretary Tillerson recog- nized the unique contribu- tions of Department of State employees: “You have accumulated knowledge and experience that cannot be replicated anywhere else. As your Secretary, I will be proud to draw upon all these quali- ties in my decision-making.” The Secretary also spoke of his intention to focus on the safety and security of his workforce, saying that his first thought each morning is, “Are all our people safe?” Following the address, AFSA President Ambassador Barbara Stephenson wel- comed the Secretary. She escorted him and Mrs. Til- lerson to the AFSA memorial wall, which honors members of the Foreign Service who lost their lives while serving the United States abroad. Ambassador Stephen- son, the Secretary and Mrs. Tillerson each laid a flower at the wall and paused to honor the sacrifice of those whose names are etched in marble. The memorial wall is the focal point for AFSA’s Foreign Ser- vice Day events, which take place this year on May 5. AFSA deeply appreciates Secretary Tillerson’s gesture of respect for our fallen col- leagues and looks forward to working with him to address challenges to American leadership abroad—and to ensuring that the American Foreign Service continues to deploy all around the world to protect and defend America’s people, interests and values. Even if that means that not everyone makes it home safely. n —Gemma Dvorak, Associate Editor AFSA President Ambassador Barbara Stephenson and Secretary of State Rex Tillerson at the AFSA memorial wall following the new Secretary’s welcome address to State Department employees on Feb. 2. DEPARTMENTOFSTATE Inside:  Candidate and Voting information for the 2017-2019 AFSA Election  Announcement of the 2017 recipient of Lifetime Contributions to American Diplomacy Award