The Foreign Service Journal, April 2023

AFSA NEWS AFSA NEWS THE OFFICIAL RECORD OF THE AMERICAN FOREIGN SERVICE ASSOCIATION AFSA President on the Road It’s been a busy start to 2023 for AFSA’s president, Ambassador Eric Rubin. In January, Amb. Rubin visited Sarasota, Florida, where he attended the For- eign Service Retirees Asso- ciation of Florida’s (FSRA- FL) annual board meeting. This local retiree association contains AFSA’s largest constituency of retirees. The State’s Diplomat in Residence for Florida, Mignon Houston, also attended. As a keynote speaker along with Paula Jakub, president of the American Foreign Service Protective Association (AFSPA), Rubin presented remarks on the state of the Foreign Service, highlights and challenges of AFSA’s work, and key retiree issues, such as the ongoing disruption of the Annuitant Express online portal. CALENDAR Please check www.afsa.org for the most up-to-date information. April 3 Deadline: High School Essay Contest Submissions April 3 AFSA Board Election Ballots Mailed April 18 Federal and State Taxes Due AFSA Tax Guide: afsa.org/taxguide April 19 12-2 p.m. AFSA Governing Board Meeting May 4 AFSA Foreign Service Day Events May 5 Foreign Service Day May 17 12-2 p.m. AFSA Governing Board Meeting May 18 Final Day for AFSA to Receive Ballots While in Florida, Rubin also met with the local chap- ter of the U.S. Global Leader- ship Coalition (USGLC). In addition, Rubin met with Heather Kasten of the Sara- sota Chamber of Commerce. In February, Rubin was invited to speak at the Uni- versity of Pittsburgh Gradu- ate School of Public and International Affairs (GSPIA) Eric Rubin speaking at Point Park University in Pittsburgh for the WAC event on Feb. 7. PITTSBURGHWORLDAFFAIRSCOUNCIL by Charlie Skinner, a retired Foreign Service officer and professor at UPitt. Rubin joined Julia Santucci, senior lecturer in intelligence studies, at an open-to-all event on “U.S. Diplomacy in the 21st Cen- tury.” He also joined Santuc- ci’s intelligence studies class for a small group discussion on “Diplomacy and Intelli- gence,” and later had dinner with the dean of GSPIA, Carissa Slotterback. While in Pittsburgh, Rubin joined the Pittsburgh World Affairs Council (WAC) for an interactive Q&A on “The State of U.S. Diplomacy.” The event, which was sponsored by WAC, Luminari, Global- Pittsburgh, and Pittsburgh Global Shapers, kicked off with a performance by Cuban percussionist Hugo Cruz. A recording of the event is available on the WAC YouTube channel. Rubin then attended a lunchtime discussion hosted THE FOREIGN SERVICE JOURNAL | APRIL 2023 37 by the Carnegie Mellon University undergraduate history department, headed by Emanuela Grama, chair of global studies at CMU. Topics covered included the Russia-Ukraine war and its effect on European Union and U.S. relations, the E.U. response to rising populism and nationalism in European nations, and career advice for those considering the Foreign Service. n Help guide AFSA’s flagship publication, The Foreign Service Journal , into the future. Active-duty and retired AFSA members are invited to apply for two-year terms on the FSJ Editorial Board. See the Call for Volunteers notice on page 24 for informa- tion on how to apply. n Volunteer Your Voice!