The Foreign Service Journal, July-August 2015

82 JULY-AUGUST 2015 | THE FOREIGN SERVICE JOURNAL AFSA NEWS AFSAMembers Named Sammie Finalists AFSA congratulates mem- bers Edward J. Ramotowski and Natasha M. de Marcken on being named among the finalists for a “Sammie,” the Samuel J. Heyman Service to America Medal. The Sammies recognize the significant accomplish- ments of federal employ- ees, who, in the words of the award itself, “make our country better, healthier and stronger.” In both cases, the contributions have benefited not just Americans, but many people beyond our borders. As deputy assistant secretary for visa services, Mr. Ramotowski and his consular affairs team have significantly streamlined the application process, increasing the issuance of tourist and student travel visas by more than 50 percent between 2010 and 2014. He and his team reduced the average wait time for in-person interviews with consular officers from 15 days to six. Their work has contributed substantially to increased tourism and the expansion of American educational services, boosting U.S. economic activity and creating jobs. As director of the Office of Education for the U.S. Agency for International Develop- ment, Ms. de Marcken was painfully aware that while many more children are entering primary schools in developing countries, too many of them are still unable to read even after four years of schooling. Ms. de Marcken pinpointed early learning as the most critical, and reshaped the strategy to prioritize foundational reading skills for the roughly 30 million students served through USAID’s educational programs. She has led the way in guiding donors and countries to have a measurable effect on student learning. As the voice of the Foreign Service, AFSA takes great pride when its members are recognized for the significance of their accomplishments in advancing important national priorities. Please join us in congratulating Mr. Ramotowski and Ms. de Marcken. n —Todd Thurwachter, Retiree Counselor On June 4, the American For- eign Service Association was pleased to unveil its newly redesigned website at www. afsa.org . The new site has been completely revamped to offer users enhanced organization, more intuitive browsing and a streamlined look. Here are three things you’ll love about our new site: 1. Faster loading times and responsive design (i.e., it is accessible and easy to view on all platforms ranging from desktops to mobile phones). 2. Seamless integration with AFSA’s e-commerce platform and secure online transactions for anything from starting or renewing a membership to making pur- chases and donations. 3. More social sharing features, including one-click sharing from any of our webpages. Simply click on the icons that hover on the right side of the screen to send that page to your social media channel of choice or email it to a friend or col- league. And don’t worry, all the content you are accustomed to— The Foreign Service Jour- nal , scholarships informa- tion, our blogs list, etc.—is still there, just with a fresh new look that is more user- friendly than ever. With more than a million views each year, the website represents one of AFSA’s main outreach tools. Our goal is to provide users with a quality online experience each time they visit our site. We hope you enjoy the new design, and invite your com- ments and feedback. n —Ásgeir Sigfússon, Director of New Media AFSAWebsite Gets a Facelift