The Foreign Service Journal, June 2010

I nside a U.S. Embassy Editor Shawn Dorman, who is also associate editor of the FSJ , spoke to a sold-out crowd in New York City on March 29. The seminar, the first in a new series on for- eign affairs careers from the Foreign Pol- icy Association University, focused on the Foreign Service career, what it in- volves and how to get in. FPAU is the professional development arm of the nonprofit Foreign Policy Association, which seeks to educate the public about America’s foreign policy. Dorman reports that the audience, a mix of students and young profession- als, was “enthusiastic, highly interested and engaged.” One hundred people at- tended the talk, which was held at New York University’s Arthur L. Carter Jour- nalism Institute, looking out over SoHo. Dorman devoted the first hour to an overview of the Foreign Service career and the second hour to the hiring process, including the FS exam. AQ&A period followed each section, for which she was joined by Diplomat-in-Resi- dence Robert Dry. FPA Editor/Producer Robert Nolan, who organized the event, was pleased with its success. “Shawn’s hands-on ex- perience as a Foreign Service officer and insight into who is the ‘total candidate’ really made her the ‘total instructor’ for this course,”he states, adding,“Students walked away with a real idea of what it takes not just to get in, but to sustain a career in the Foreign Service.” Diplomat-in-Residence Dry, who is based at the City College of New York, felt that the seminar could help the State Department “get good recruits who ac- tually know something about the For- eign Service when they take the test.” F ormer Deputy Secretary of State John Negroponte opened his informal talk at AFSA on April 7 by reminiscing about the very room in which he was seated. He recalled its pre- vious life as a“well-knownwatering hole”for FSOs in days gone by, and proceeded to make what he called a “more productive use” of the venue. In a congenial interview moderated by Am- bassador Edward W. “Skip” Gnehm, both men spoke of the re- cent boost in resources to the Foreign Service — and what still needs to be done. This programwas the first event in a new lecture and discus- sion series AFSA is co-sponsoring with LockheedMartin, called “Promoting Excellence and Deepening Impact: Resources and J U N E 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 49 American Foreign Service Association • June 2010 AFSA NEWS FPA EVENT IN NYC FEATURES AFSA’S SHAWN DORMAN FS Career Seminar Draws Full House BY FRANCESCA KELLY Continued on page 52 NEGROPONTE INTERVIEW LAUNCHES LOCKHEED MARTIN SERIES Former Ambassadors Take the Stage for Discussion, Q&A BY FRANCESCA KELLY AFSA Annual Awards Ceremony to Take Place June 24 A FSA’s Awards Ceremony will take place on Thurs., June 24, from 4 to 5:30 p.m. in the Ben- jamin Franklin Room of the De- partment of State. Ambassador L. Bruce Laingen will receive AFSA’s Lifetime Con- tributions toAmericanDiplomacy Award . AFSA’s Constructive Dissent and Performance Awards will be presented at this event, as well. Profiles of the award winners will appear in the July-August AFSA News. AFSA members and those with a valid State Department ID are welcome to attend the ceremony. Due to Secretary Clinton’s tight schedule, the event will begin promptly at 4 p.m. All attendees should arrive in the Franklin Room by 3:55 p.m. at the latest. Continued on page 53 Amb. John Negroponte, right, and Amb. Edward W. “Skip” Gnehm, April 7, at AFSA. FRANCESCA KELLY