The Foreign Service Journal, July-August 2003

I want to thank you for your vote in the recent AFSA elec- tion. Bill Crawford, our new representative, and I are anxious to take up our responsibilities and work effec- tively with you to advance our professional interests. We look forward to turning a newpage and starting a new chap- ter in our relationship with USFCS management. Our Director General Maria Cino, Deputy Director General Carlos Poza, andDAS Karen Zens aremaking great strides in modernizing our profession and redefining our mission. We look forward to working together as a team on the development of new initiatives to advance the cause of commercial diplomacy and professional devel- opment, while also engaging constructively on the range of issues that influence our working conditions and quality of life. As I indicated in my campaign statement, I believe that our profession as com- mercial diplomats is at a cross- roads, and I amexcited about the opportunity to be your vice president at this crucial time. When I return toWashington in August, I will contact you direct- ly to solicit your views on what should be our most important priorities. I see our program as having three components, and would welcome your thoughts on each of them: personnel issues, USFCS working conditions, and profes- sional development and outreach. Together, we will set realistic and achievable objec- tives for the first year of our term. Peter Frederick, our outgoing vice president, has done an outstanding job. I look forward to building on his achievements. As I write this column in May in Brussels, the business agenda that I inherit includes key issues like: adoption of our new selection board precepts; agreement on a new, long-term language training pilot program; and USFCS support for the new AFSA immediate insurance ben- efit program. Later this month, at the worldwide USFCS managers conference in Washington, Peter and I will have a chance to discuss these and other issues with our members. I made the commitment in the campaign to involve everyone in both the def- inition of our agenda and in the position we take on the issues. Many of you know that that is my management style anyway. I will use our e-mail network plus an informal committee systemwithmembers in each region and in the U.S. to ensure that all of your views are taken into account every step of the way. For those of you who don’t know me, I joined the USFCS in 1982 after eight years in the private sector. It has been my privilege to serve in Latin America and Europe as well as in senior positions at headquarters. My ambition now is to give something back to a profession and to an agency that have given so much oppor- tunity tome. I verymuch look forward to establishing a newpartnershipwithman- agement. ▫ I believe that our profession as commercial diplomats is at a crossroads, and I am excited about the opportunity to be your vice president at this crucial time. V.P. VOICE: FCS ■ BY CHARLES FORD A New Start JULY-AUGUST 2003 • AFSA NEWS 13 charities. She writes a monthly maga- zine column, “Things To Do with Kids.” She also resurrected an ineffec- tive soup kitchen to feed needy Czechs. KARIE ENNIS, NEWDELHI: OMS Karie Ennis spent several hours each weekend at the Missionaries of Charity Orphanage for Handicapped Children in NewDelhi. She provided physical thera- py for the children, taught Indian staff to feed the children properly and spent time talking, playing with and holding the children. She organized the Marines Toys for Tots campaign to benefit the orphanage, and obtained a grant from the J. Kirby Simon Trust to buy mat- tresses, therapy mats and other supplies. She also promoted, organized and facili- tated the first “Health Fair” for Embassy NewDelhi attended by over 500 staff. KRISTINE LUOMA-OVERSTREET, MERIDA: In a city without an interna- tional school, Kristine Luoma- Overstreet worked with a local school to create a “Reading is Fun” program increasing English-language literacy. She organized story hours, introduced the concept of a lending library, obtained donations of books and began what is now an annual catalogue book sale where members of the community purchased over $2,000 worth of books. She is also the mainstay of the Merida English Library, an all-volunteer opera- tion that serves as Merida’s premier public library. The following nominees received honorablemention for their contribu- tions to their respective communities: Athens: Bonnie Miller Bangkok: Theodore Osius Berlin: Barbara and Jim Brown Budapest: Lisa O’Sattin Conakry: Judie Pruett GuatemalaCity: Lt. Col. LindaGould GuatemalaCity: RianandChrisHarris The Hague: Robert McDaniel The Hague: Nancy Tokola Nicosia: Ann Chenevey Kampala: Giovanna Brennan Warsaw: Stacy Mansager Yaounde: Laurie Meininger ▫ AAFSW • Continued from page 9