The Foreign Service Journal, September 2003

8 AFSA NEWS • SEPTEMBER 2003 moting contact between Foreign Service retirees and the public. EDWARDP. DOBYNS , in recognition of his leadership role in organizing the Foreign Service Retirees Association of Florida. In 1982, Dobyns took charge of the informal organization of Florida retirees founded 20 years before and turned it into the institution it is today. He wrote a constitution and bylaws, named the organization, nominated the first officers and board members, pub- lished the first directory and arranged pro- grams for meetings. He served as chair until 1986 and after that as an ex-officio board member. Dobyns was instru- mental in laying the groundwork for an organization that today numbers over 700 members, has an excellent working rela- tionship with AFSA and contributes sig- nificantly to achievement of our shared goal of better public understanding of the Foreign Service. J. EDGARWILLIAMS , inrecognitionof his leadership role as founder and continuing head of the Association of Former Members of the Foreign Affairs Agencies of Central North Carolina. In launching the association in 1984, Williams and his colleagues openedmembership to former as well as retired employees of all foreign affairs agencies in order to have a strong- ly supported group within a convenient geographic area. The result was a dynam- ic association that providedmemberswith excellent foreign affairs speakers and also reachedout to the community to increase public understanding of diplomacy. Members of the associationhave served as speakers and as mentors to students interested in a Foreign Service career and have created and sustained a leading online foreign affairs magazine, American Diplomacy . Under Williams’ leadership, the association has also supported an ini- tial effort to start a North Carolina Elderhostel ForeignServiceprogramaswell as other AFSA outreach activities. AMBASSADOR T. FRANK CRIGLER and DR. HENRY E. MATTOX , for their roles in founding the online journal American Diplomacy. They launched this journal as a quarterly in 1996. The journal’s editor fromthe start,Dr.Mattoxhas been instru- mental insolicitingcontributions fromgov- ernment and academic writers and espe- cially in providing an important medium for conveying thewisdomand expertise of Foreign Service colleagues. For five years, Amb. Crigler served as publisher andas president of thenonprofit corporation American Diplomacy Publishers. Nowa constantlyupdated site, www.americandiplomacy.org had 50,000vis- itors in 2002 from throughout the United States and around the world. Thanks to the efforts ofMattox andCrigler, the jour- nal is nowa valuable resource for building public awareness of American diplomacy and the role of the Foreign Service, and is amajor online source of authoritative arti- cles on foreign affairs, including frequent articles on improving and building the Foreign Service. J. MICHAEL HOULAHAN , in recognition of his leadershiprole indevelopingand sus- taining outreach programs in Ohio. For the past five years, Houlahan has demon- stratedexceptional drive, creativity, andper- sistence inarranging effectiveoutreachpro- grams that promoted under- standing of the ForeignService and international affairs. The scope of his programming involving a wide range of key institutions across his state has been truly impressive, includ- ing world affairs councils, uni- versities andcolleges, civic asso- ciations and townmeetings. He hasworked tirelessly to involve asmany leading opinionmak- ers as possible in his programs, including prominent local and national politicians, educators, civic leaders, and members of the news media. An exceptional speaker, Houlahanhasmade special efforts tomen- tor leading students concerning the impor- tance of diplomacy for national interests and effectively describe the attractiveness of careers in the Foreign Service. Thanks tohis efforts, publicawarenessof the impor- tance of American diplomacy has been heightened among many thousands of Ohio citizens. PATRICIAKUSHLIS , in recognitionof her leadership role over the past four years in developing and sustaining outreach pro- grams inNewMexico that have enhanced understanding of the Foreign Service and U.S. foreignpolicy. Her dynamic approach resulted in the involvement of many key opinion leaders, including prominent politicians, civic and educational leaders, andmembers of the newsmedia, and has made Kushlis an invaluable asset in AFSA’s own outreach efforts. She wrote frequent articles and op-eds for leading newspapers, substantially increasing pub- lic awareness of the global challenges fac- ingAmerican diplomacy. She became, in effect, “the voice of the Foreign Service in NewMexico.” Kushlis has lecturedon for- eignaffairs at theUniversityofNewMexico and other academic and civic institutions across her state, and has made special efforts to mentor students on the attrac- tiveness of careers in the Foreign Service. AFSA is proud to salute Kushlis for her work in helping to build a solid domestic constituency in New Mexico for the U.S. Foreign Service and for American diplomacy. ▫ Retirees • Continued from page 3 AFSA salutes these men and women who continue to serve well past the time they officially leave the Service. Ambassador Galen Stone receives his award on May 30.