AFSA NEWS 58 JUNE 2025 | THE FOREIGN SERVICE JOURNAL FSJ Editorial Board Hail and Farewell AFSA and The Foreign Service Journal are pleased to welcome two new members to the FSJ Editorial Board: Ben East and Peter Reams. Both bring a wealth of Foreign Service experience and a deep commitment to the craft of writing and diplomacy. Ben East, a career Foreign Service officer and returned Peace Corps volunteer, joins the board with three decades of international service. His distinguished public diplomacy work has advanced U.S. political, commercial, and security interests around the world, including helping reopen the U.S. consulate in Jeddah following a terrorist attack and leading messaging efforts that boosted international student enrollment in the United States. A writer and educator as well as a diplomat, East has taught in Paraguay, New York, and Malawi, and is the author of Two Pumps for the Body Man and Patchworks. His forthcoming nonfiction work, Profiles in Service, will spotlight Peace Corps alumni who rose to the rank of U.S. ambassador. Peter Reams, who retired from the Foreign Service in 2000 after nearly 30 years of service, joins the board with a breadth of policy and management expertise. His career spanned political, personnel, and arms control roles in both Washington, D.C., and overseas, including as deputy chief of mission in Madagascar and Côte d’Ivoire. His final assignment before retirement was as director of the Office of Caribbean Affairs and the Haiti Working Group. Reams’ deep knowledge of diplomacy’s operational and strategic dimensions will bring valuable perspective to the board. The editors extend their heartfelt thanks to departing board members Bob Beecroft, Paul Oliva, and Gaïna Dávila for their dedicated service. Their insight and commitment to editorial standards have strengthened the Journal and enriched its pages. n AFSA Welcomes Director of Professional Policy Issues AFSA welcomes Lisa Heller as the new director of professional policy issues, succeeding Julie Nutter. Ms. Heller joined AFSA after a 34-year career with the U.S. Foreign Service. Much of her State Department career was dedicated to representing the U.S. in China, with a final assignment as consul general at the U.S. consulate general in Guangzhou. She also served in Islamabad, Seoul, and Kyiv, as well as several tours in Washington, D.C. Ms. Heller holds degrees from Princeton University, the University of Minnesota, and Virginia Theological Seminary. Prior to joining the Foreign Service, she worked at the Environmental Protection Agency and was a presidential management fellow at NASA. A native of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, she has introduced audiences around the world to the finer points of Pittsburgh Steeler fandom. She can be reached at heller@afsa.org. n Ben East Peter Reams Lisa Heller
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