The Foreign Service Journal, May 2010

M A Y 2 0 1 0 / F O R E I G N S E R V I C E J O U R N A L 59 A F S A N E W S together with my long-term partner. I basically am forced to get married if I want my partner to have any benefits. Not everyone believes in the institution of marriage, but that does not make those re- lationships any less valid or worthy of recognition than those who said “I do.” AFSA should not spend a single second worrying about this manufactured issue of opposite-sex unmarried partners. Looking Ahead Respondents mentionedmany other issues for AFSA to pursue. We will keep you informed. AFSA is reviewing the way we obtain member input. These annual surveys will probably continue, but we are also looking at doing more timely and fo- cused surveys in response to events or concerns. As always, you are encouraged to contact us at any time, either through the AFSA State Web page (www.afsa. org/state/), through your AFSA rep or via e-mail to HirschDM@State.gov or Hirsch@afsa.org . ❏ New Mexico for Retirement: Natural Beauty and Foreign Affairs Discussions Foreign Service retirees settling in New Mexico will find they can remain plugged in to foreign policy issues through the Santa Fe World Affairs Forum. This nonprofit organization of informed individuals was created in 2003 to broaden and deepen an understanding of world affairs, primarily through small, interactive, professionally-led sessions on international issues. For more informa- tion, visit the organization’s Web site at http://sfwaf.org/ or e-mail waforum@ gmail.com . (SFWAF board members Patricia H. Kushlis and Patricia Lee Sharpe are also known for their blog at www.whirledview.typepad.com .) AFSA NEWS BRIEFS L ori Dec combines marketing ex- perience and a generous nature in a job that demands both. Her po- sition as scholarship director began in 1995, but she had already worked for AFSA on a temporary basis, filling in for Member Services Director Janet Hedrick while she was on ma- ternity leave and then as a man- ager for AFSA’s nonprofit funds, before joining AFSA perma- nently. Lori’s interpersonal and or- ganizational skills come into play in her daily dealings with both scholarship donors and student applicants. AFSA Treas- urer Andrew Winter, who has worked closely with Lori, calls her “a true professional, dedi- cated to providing as many scholarships as possible to wor- thy recipients.” A native of Troy, Mich., Lori holds a degree in marketing from Michigan State University. Before working at AFSA, she was director of education services for the National Association of Realtors, where she oversaw the devel- opment and marketing of realtor edu- cational programming nationwide. Now that she has a new assistant, Jonathan Crawford, she will be able to utilize her marketing background even more in fundraising efforts. Lori’s enthusiasm for her work has only increased over time. “AFSA has offered a very flexible work environ- ment, so I am able to balance my work and home life,” she explains. “Having developed many close friendships with AFSA staff, contacts and scholarship- families over the years, doing my job sometimes doesn’t even seem like work.” Her ease in communicating closely with scholarship families is influenced by her own close-knit family: husband, Tim, a Maryland native; and their two daughters, Tori, 17 and Cara, 12. They live in Rockville, Md., only one mile from Tim’s dad. And there’s been a re- cent addition to the family, says Lori. “One year ago we adopted Rocky, a white cockapoo, from the local pound.” Lori’s hobbies and activities include jogging, circuit training, cooking and sewing. She has instilled in her husband and children a love of the Midwest, and the family often spends vacations at the ancestral lake cottage in northern Michigan. A Midwesterner she might be at heart, but AFSA colleagues are happy that Lori has decided tomakeMaryland her permanent home. Communica- tions Director Tom Switzer is quick to sing Lori’s praises. “Lori is the consum- mate professional: untiring, thorough, persistent and unfailingly pleasant. She has brought considerable prestige to AFSA by means of her superb scholar- ship programs.” Executive Director Ian Houston comments that Lori “has been a great example for many reasons, and her en- thusiasm for her position has been in- valuable. Lives are being influenced through the scholarship work Lori con- sistently provides.” When it comes to Lori’s integral role at AFSA, Houston sums it up well. “Lori remains focused on the ultimate goal of our scholarship programs — building futures and developing confi- dence among our Foreign Service youth.” ❏ Lori Dec PROFILES: FIFTEEN YEARS AT AFSA Granting Students’ Wishes: Lori Dec