The Foreign Service Journal, July-August 2003

This is my final column after four years on the AFSA Governing Board, first as State vice president and then as president. When I first arrived, I did not fully appreciate just how great a force for good AFSA is. But now I do. Day in and day out, AFSA’s professional staff members, elected officials, and post representatives fight for the inter- ests of our members, both active-duty and retired. They negotiate improve- ments in our conditions of service, lobby for legislation to improve our quality of life, respond to those who unfairly criticize our profession, and speak up for employees who have been let down by the system. In so doing, they help to make the Foreign Service a better supported, more respected, and more satisfying place in which to spend a career. That makes our agencies more effective and thus improves our nation’s diplomatic readiness. It has been a great honor for me to work in this organization that so vigi- lantly defends and promotes the inter- ests of the Foreign Service. One of the best things about this job has been the opportunity to work alongside AFSA’s fantastic professional staff members. It is they who do the bulk of the work for our members. They do so guided by eight core values: Responsiveness: AFSA listens to our members and actively promotes their interests. When you contact AFSAwith a question or a problem, you will get a response. Effectiveness: AFSA acts with a sense of urgency, gets results, and makes a difference. While AFSA can- not win every battle that it undertakes, it wins quite a few. Integrity: AFSA demonstrates openness, honesty, and fairness. We strive to close the gap that sometimes exists in the Foreign Service between what is said and what is done. Efficiency: AFSA carefully expends resources where they can have maxi- mum impact. Our dues are relatively low by federal union standards, so effi- ciency is essential. Community: AFSA’s staff and offi- cers foster teamwork and enjoy their time together. Happy employees are motivated employees. AFSA’s staff members are both. Courage: AFSA exhibits responsi- ble risk-taking in order to achieve results. The only people who don’t make mistakes are those who don’t undertake difficult tasks. Empowerment: AFSA staff and officers trust each other to give their best efforts guided by the association’s core values. Given our lean staffing, there is little time for micromanaging. Patriotism: AFSA is faithful to the grand and enduring ideals of our nation. Those ideals include the checks and balances on governmental action afforded by collective bargaining. AFSA has been the voice of the Foreign Service since 1924 when the Service itself was created. As happens every two years, the time has now come for a new Governing Board to assume the responsibility for fighting the good fight for the benefit of our members. My distinguished successor, Amb- assador John W. Limbert, heads up a very strong team that includes numer- ous longtime AFSA activists as well as newcomers bringing fresh perspectives. I urge members worldwide to give our new AFSA Governing Board the same support that you gave to the out- going board. Send them your sugges- tions, your kudos, and your constructive criticism. In so doing, we will be con- tinuing the proud tradition of mutual support dating back nearly eight decades. And the Foreign Service will be the better for it. Thank you for the opportunity to serve. ■ P RESIDENT ’ S V IEWS Voice of the Foreign Service B Y J OHN K. N ALAND J U LY- A U G U S T 2 0 0 3 / F O R E I G N S E R V I C E J O U R N A L 5 John K. Naland is the president of the American Foreign Service Association. AFSA’s professional staff members, elected officials, and post representatives fight for the interests of our members, both active-duty and retired.