16 MAY-JUNE 2026 | THE FOREIGN SERVICE JOURNAL LETTERS-PLUS Employee Groups Weigh In RESPONSE TO MARCH-APRIL PRESIDENT’S VIEWS CALL FOR INPUT social gatherings and information sharing. For further information, please reach out to Board@glifaa.org. —glifaa Board Thursday Luncheon Group Supporting the Next Generation of Diplomats Established in 1973, the Thursday Luncheon Group (TLG) has the distinction of being the Department of State’s oldest employee organization. It originated when two senior former United States Information Agency (USIA) officers urged their friends and colleagues at USIA, State, and USAID to consider what they could do to enhance the participation of African Americans in the development and conduct of U.S. foreign policy. Over the years, TLG grew from a small group of friends and colleagues meeting informally over lunch to a 501(c)(3) organization with a network of almost 700 foreign affairs professionals whose advocacy for transparency, accountability, opportunity, and meritocracy benefited the broader foreign affairs community and advanced U.S. national interests. TLG members serve our nation honorably, and many have risen to the highest ranks of the diplomatic corps. Indeed, some of our most experienced and distinguished ambassadors were also TLG members, and several served as president of the organization, sharing their knowledge and expertise with the 7th floor while simultaneously mentoring the next generation. They include recently deceased Ambassador Ruth A. Davis, who was the first female senior watch officer in the Operations Center; the first Black director of the Foreign Service Institute, where she founded the School of Leadership and Management; the first Black female Director General of the Foreign Service; and the first Black woman to be named a Career Ambassador. The late Ambassador Steven McGann also led TLG. He served as ambassador to Fiji, Kiribati, Nauru, the Kingdom of Tonga, and Tuvalu, where he guided U.S. policy in the Pacific. He was also deputy commandant of the Dwight D. Eisenhower School for National Security and Resource Strategy at the National Defense University (NDU) and became the first vice chancellor of NDU’s College of International Security Affairs. Historically, the TLG Executive Board and its membership welcomed Secretaries of State and other agency leaders as honorary members, partnered with fellow EOs on topics of shared concern, and engaged with agency leadership on recruitment, assignments, employment practices, promotion patterns, training, In his March-April 2026 column, AFSA President John “Dink” Dinkelman lamented the lack of discourse among different groups within the Foreign Service community and called for a dialogue to examine the state of the Foreign Service. For a start, he asked employee organizations (EOs), which were officially disbanded in early 2025 by the Trump administration, to join the conversation. He invited them to let us know “what is (or was) the value of your EO, how is your group faring now, and what do you see as the future for your organization vis-à-vis the Foreign Service.” Several agreed to share their thoughts. The views expressed in all the notes below are those of the authors alone and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of the U.S. government or AFSA. glifaa Advocating for the LGBTQIA+ Foreign Affairs Community On February 1, 2025, glifaa began operating exclusively in its preexisting status as an independent 501(c)(3)– designated nonprofit organization, suspending operations as an employee organization with the State Department, USAID, and other foreign affairs agencies. The board is now led by former State and USAID employees, including alumni of both the Foreign Service and Civil Service. Its long-standing mission continues: to advocate for human rights, dignity, and equal access to opportunities for all members of the LGBTQIA+ foreign affairs community. Over the 30-plus years since glifaa began, it has been a driver of positive change. Just as important has been the fellowship it has provided to our community. Our members include employees, former employees, and their adult and child eligible family members (EFMs). We have provided support in a broad range of ways, including through in-person and virtual
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