The Foreign Service Journal, June 2023

AFSA NEWS AFSAMeets with Post Reps THE FOREIGN SERVICE JOURNAL | JUNE 2023 51 On April 20, AFSA hosted a virtual, informal discussion with post representatives around the world. AFSA President Eric Rubin, joined by AFSA vice presidents and section heads, provided an update on the association’s advo- cacy priorities, upcoming AFSA events, and took ques- tions and feedback from participants. Christine Miele, AFSA’s director of programs and member engagement, gave an overview of annual Foreign Service Day pro- gramming and noted that 2024 marks the centennial of the FS. She discussed how posts might be involved and reminded post reps that AFSA Congratulates New Retirees AFSA joined soon-to-retire colleagues at the Job Search/ Transition Program (JSTP) at the Foreign Service Institute in March. JSTP helps Foreign Service (and sometimes Civil Service) members with the transition from government service to new careers and other opportunities that await them in retirement. At a brown bag lunch attended by 25 participants on March 14, AFSA Retiree Vice President John Naland talked about what AFSA can do for our retired members and explained how retirees can rejoin AFSA. On March 31, AFSA hosted a graduation reception for more than 60 JSTP par- ticipants. AFSA President Ambassador Eric Rubin and other AFSA employees toasted the participants and celebrated their impending retirement. Congratulations to all JSTP participants—we wish you much luck in your future endeavors, and we thank you for your years of service to our country. n these events are a great opportunity to showcase the work of the Foreign Service to visiting congressional delegations. In an effort to keep up with the ever-changing mail- ing addresses of FS mem- bers, Miele also asked post reps for their assistance in updating AFSA’s list of who is at post after transfer season. This ensures that members can continue to receive physical copies of the FSJ . AFSA post representa- tives are integral to the work we do in support of members globally, and we look forward to meeting with them again! n