The Foreign Service Journal, September 2015

THE FOREIGN SERVICE JOURNAL | SEPTEMBER 2015 81 AFSA NEWS The history book project commenced in 2012 under the leadership of then- AFSA President Susan Johnson, and was made possible by the generous support of the Nelson B. Delavan Foundation. From left: Johnson, Ann Delavan Harrop and Ambassador William C. Harrop. AFSA/MARIAC.LIVINGSTON AVisit with USAID Acting Administrator Lenhardt American Foreign Service Association representa- tives met with USAID Acting Administrator Alfonso Lenhardt on June 5 to address disparities in benefits between USAID and State Department Foreign Service officers and to raise concerns regarding problem- atic assignments and hiring practices. Then-AFSA President Rob- ert J. Silverman and USAID Vice President Sharon Wayne led the AFSA delegation. Act- ing Administrator Lenhardt was accompanied by other high-level USAID partici- pants, including Deputy Chief of Staff Michelle Sumilas, Counselor Susan Reichle and Senior Advisor John Spears. USAID management shared AFSA’s concern about continuing gaps in benefits packages and agreed to work with AFSA on securing certain benefits for USAID FSOs, such as automatic enrollment in TSA Pre-Check, eligibility for USAA member- ship and establishment of a temporary-duty housing pro- gram in the United States. In addition, Lenhardt welcomed AFSA’s advocacy efforts to realize full implementation of Overseas Comparability Pay. AFSAmet with USAID leadership on June 5. From left: AFSA Senior Legislative Assistant David Murimi, AFSA Labor Management Counselor Colleen Fallon-Lenaghan, former AFSA President Robert J. Silverman, USAID Acting Administrator Alfonso Lenhardt, AFSA USAID Vice President Sharon Wayne and AFSA Governing Board Representative Jeff Cochrane. COURTESYOFROBBHOHMANN Harry Kopp with members of AFSA’s publications division. From left: Managing Editor Susan Maitra, Kopp, Editor Shawn Dorman and Editorial and Publications Specialist Brittany DeLong. AFSA/MARIAC.LIVINGSTON Silverman raised the increasingly problematic practice of hiring Foreign Service Limited employees— a program initially intended to staff critical priority countries—to fill domestic supervisory jobs. The acting administrator maintained that FSLs are only used to meet critical agency needs, which includes compensating for the dearth of USAID FSOs returning for assignments in Washington, D.C. The meeting resulted in a firm commitment by both parties to continue collaboration on achieving benefits parity and improving transparency in hiring and assignments. n —Maria C. Livingston, Associate Editor