AFSA NEWS THE OFFICIAL RECORD OF THE AMERICAN FOREIGN SERVICE ASSOCIATION THE FOREIGN SERVICE JOURNAL | SEPTEMBER 2023 53 New AFSA Governing Board Takes Office CALENDAR Please check www.afsa.org for the most up-to-date information. September 4 Labor Day AFSA Offices Closed September 10-14 AFSA Road Scholar Program Washington, D.C. September 20 12-2 p.m. AFSA Governing Board Meeting September 21 4:30-6:30 p.m. AFSA Happy Hour at HQ September 22 7:05 p.m. Foreign Service Night at Nationals Park September 24-29 AFSA Road Scholar Program Chautauqua, N.Y. October 9 Columbus Day/ Indigenous Peoples Day AFSA Offices Closed October 18 12-2 p.m. AFSA Governing Board Meeting The 2023-2025 AFSA Governing Board convened for its first monthly meeting on July 19 at AFSA headquarters in Washington, D.C. The outgoing 2021-2023 Governing Board met in person on June 16 at AFSA headquarters for its final monthly meeting. The new AFSA Governing Board includes several returning members: President Tom Yazdgerdi (formerly State vice president), Secretary Sue Saarnio, Treasurer John O’Keefe, State Vice President Hui Jun Tina Wong (formerly State representative), Foreign Agricultural Service Vice (FAS) President Lisa Ahramjian, Retiree Vice President John Naland, State Representative Kimberly Harrington, U.S. Agency for Global Media Representative Steve Herman, Retiree Representative Mary Daly, and Alternate Foreign Commercial Service (FCS) Representative Jay Carreiro. New Governing Board members for the 2023-2025 term include USAID Vice President Randy Chester; FCS Vice President Joshua Burke; State Representatives Gregory Floyd, Lynette Behnke, David Josar, C. Logan Wheeler, and Whitney Wiedeman; USAID Representative Christopher Saenger; Alternate FAS Representative Zeke Spears; APHIS Representative Joseph Ragole; and Retiree Representative Edward G. Stafford. Profiles of all the members of the 2023-2025 Governing Board begin on page 60. n Top: The 2023-2025 Governing Board met for the first time on July 19 at AFSA headquarters. Inset: New AFSA President Tom Yazgerdi with outgoing President Eric Rubin at a July farewell event. AFSA/JULIA WOHLERS AFSA Hosts Chiefs of Mission On June 14, AFSA hosted a breakfast for U.S. chiefs of mission who were in Washington, D.C., for the State Department’s annual chiefs of mission conference. Some 25 ambassadors attended and contributed to a candid conversation about the most pressing challenges currently facing career ambassadors. Then-AFSA President Eric Rubin welcomed attendees and reminded them that the association is here to help by advocating for the needs of Foreign Service members. The chiefs of mission expressed a range of concerns, including gaps in encumbered positions overseas, particularly at hard-to-fill posts; the onerous and time-consuming requirements of the State Department’s anti-nepotism policies that often complicate legitimate EFM hiring; the rising cost of living in Washington, D.C., that causes FS members to dread domestic tours; and a dearth of mid-level and senior positions at small posts, leading to the assignment of first-tour officers as section chiefs. They also noted that salaries for locally employed (LE) staff overseas have not risen in recent years and are no longer competitive with local employers in many countries. This has national security implications, as U.S. embassies and consulates may be forced to lower hiring standards; and some LE staff, particularly local guard forces, are leaving for other employment, sometimes with other governments and even with organizations not friendly to the United States. AFSA will continue to monitor and seek to alleviate these and other issues affecting the Foreign Service. n AFSA/NADJA RUZICA
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