The Foreign Service Journal, June 2003

8 AFSA NEWS • JUNE 2003 W ard Thompson will leave AFSA in June to move to California with his wife Diana. Ward has been an institution at AFSA and an invaluable resource forForeign Service retirees, bothAFSAmem- bers andnon-members. ExecutiveDirector Susan Reardon tells us that for the last 11 years, he has been “like an anchor” for AFSA. “Ward’s easygoingmanner andsage advicewill be sorelymissed,” she says.While we wish himall the best, this move will be a tremendous loss for AFSA. “Ward has been a strong advocate for the interests of retirees andhas playeda key role in making sure that the department communicates with its retirees,” says AFSA President John Naland. “We are grateful for Ward’s countless contribu- tions.” Retiree Liaison Ward has been AFSA’s liaison with Foreign Service retirees, a positionwhich has an ombudsman function and an informational function. He has engaged the appropriate offices to help retirees solve problems, and has disseminated information retirees need through a newsletter that he wrote single-handed- ly every twomonths for the last 11 years. “AFSA’s retiree newsletter is a goldmine of practical information for our annui- tants,” says AFSA Retiree Vice President Bill Farrand. Inhis role as liaison, no inquirywas ever too trivial forhim, andhe assistedhundreds of retireeswhen they felt theyhadnowhere to turn. “Anyquestioncoming in fromour retired brothers and sisters — even from those who were not AFSA members — received Ward’s thoughtful and timely attention,” says Farrand. “He paid close attentionto thebread-and-butter issues that can baffle people living far from Washington.” Bill Farrand adds that he reliedheavilyonWard for advice and counsel as he tried to best serve retirees. “Ward responded to retiree inquirieswithcompetence, cour- tesy and dispatch. He main- tained close working relations with retirement officials in the State Department and other foreign affairs agencies, whose cooperationwas crucial in eliciting actions or information requested by the retirees,” says former AFSARetiree VPBillDePree. “He is unflappable, always patient and willing to help another col- league,” adds Professional Issues Coordinator Barbara Berger. Ward also oversawAFSA’s cooperationwith Foreign Service retiree groups around the coun- try, in some cases facilitat- ing the establishment of the group. SusanReardonexplains that the entire Foreign Service retiree community is indebted toWard for his efforts on their behalf: the solutions to individual problems for retirees often have broader ramifications that benefit the entire com- munity. Ward tells us he has enjoyed being able to engage with the State Department on retiree issues, “as part of the fam- ily but without the constraints of an employee.” Public Outreach Ward has alsomade a significant con- tribution toAFSA’s publicoutreachefforts, engaging retirees in the process of educat- ing the American public about foreign affairs and the Foreign Service. “He has been the AFSA ‘voice’ and ‘face’ of retiree concerns, but he also acted to keep our alumnimembers engaged insupport of the FS andgenerally of American engagement inworld affairs. This is an important con- tribution,” saysHarryBlaney III, president of the Coalition for American Leadership Abroad. Wardhas been instrumental in the cre- ation andmanagement of AFSA’s Foreign Service Elderhostel program. He played a key advisory role in thedevelopment of the highly successful program, whichhas edu- cated thousands of Americans on the cru- cial role of the Foreign Service in defend- ing national interests, says AFSA Communications Director Tom Switzer. “The success of AFSA’s Elderhostel Program,” says Bill DePree, “owes much toWard’s day-to-day oversight of the pro- grams and to the many substantive sug- gestions hemade over the past seven years to make these programs more appealing and timely.” Ward retired from the Foreign Service in1991 followinga25-year career as apolit- ical and labor officerwitha strong focus on the Nordic countries. He remains active as aNordic specialist, lecturing at local universities and at FSI. He served in Helsinki, Copenhagen,Gothenburg, Seoul and inWashington. He has degrees from BrownUniversity and the FletcherSchoolofLawand Diplomacy, and is a Marine Corps Vietnam veteran. Ward appreciated his job at AFSA because it gave him an opportunity to work with the Foreign Service community. “Retirement is a time when instead of forgetting the FS you can reconnect with colleagues. In this job, I have connected with hundreds of col- leagues I never knew before, and it has been a pleasure. The job is fun because you never knowwhat’s going to be on the other end of the line when you pick up the phone.” Luckily for all those retirees who have called AFSA over the past 11 years, it was Ward who picked up the phone. ▫ WARD THOMPSON MOVES ON A Job Well Done BY SHAWN DORMAN Wardwith Congressman TomDavis, R-Va., Chair of the House Government Reform Committee at the 2001 Hill launching of the health care premium conversion bills.