The Foreign Service Journal, September 2016

THE FOREIGN SERVICE JOURNAL | SEPTEMBER 2016 33 the fellowship programs, internships, language programs such as the Boren Fellowship and other opportunities that spark interest in careers in the Foreign Service. ■ Reach out more effectively to minority audiences, increas- ing the number of minority takers of the Foreign Service Written Examination. ■ Pay attention to the assignment and retention of minorities in the Service. With the mid-level gap closing and promotions slowing down, special attention needs to be given to assignments and training. I was disappointed to learn of the negligible number of African Americans, Hispanics and other minorities assigned as deputy chiefs of mission, principal officers and office directors. If minority officers cannot aspire to positions of responsibility, they will not remain in the Service. ■ I am also concerned about the paucity of minority Civil Ser- vants in the Senior Executive Service , more of them at the GS-15 level should be groomed for SES positions in the department. The SES Career Development Program should be offered more frequently, and HR must ensure that those receiving the training are representative of the department’s diverse work force. FSJ: Y ou’ve been president and adviser to the Thursday Lun- cheon Group. How did that group get started, and can you tell us a bit about its work? RAD: TheThursday Luncheon Group is one of the leading affinity groups in the department. It was formed in 1973, at a time when African-American participation in the foreign affairs agen- cies was increasing. Two senior U.S. Information Agency officers brought together colleagues to consider what could be done to encourage a significant role for African Americans in the formula- tion and implementation of U.S. foreign policy. TLG has since grown to about 300 members and actively men- tors, recruits and sponsors activities designed to help its members navigate the system, such as career development and EER prepa- ration sessions. TLG joins with the Association of Black American Ambassadors to hold an annual reception welcoming the new cohorts of Pickering, Rangel and Payne Fellows and coordinates with AFSA annually to sponsor an intern in the department. FSJ: You’ve been a champion for mentorship. How is the State Department doing in terms of encouraging mentorship and estab- lishing official mechanisms for mentoring? RAD: The State Department has a range of formal mentor- ing programs available to every employee—Foreign Service, Civil Service and LE staff—and the Rangel, Pickering and Payne programs seek mentors for their participants. While I applaud the department’s efforts, I believe that the most effective mentors are those who are developed through situational connections without a formal structure. Such mentors can be found in a variety of settings in or out of the workplace, in professional associations, such as AFSA, or in numerous other places. The major point is to identify and select a mentor who is thoughtful, articulate and able to offer useful career advice. FSJ: You chair the selection committee for the Rangel Interna- tional Affairs Fellowship. How successful has the program been in increasing diversity? How can the foreign affairs agencies retain minority talent once in the Foreign Service? Ambassador Ruth A. Davis discusses the empowerment of women and education of girls in Benin with First Lady Hillary Rodham Clinton on July 13, 1995. While serving as ambassador to Benin, Amb. Davis accompanied Mrs. Rosine Soglo, wife of the president of Benin, to the White House meeting. THEWHITEHOUSE