THE FOREIGN SERVICE JOURNAL | OCTOBER 2024 61 AFSA NEWS State and Local Advocacy AFSA Meets with D.C. Councilmember Anita Bonds AFSA recently had a productive meeting with D.C. Councilmember Anita Bonds, marking a significant step in our ongoing efforts to advocate for Foreign Service members and their families. AFSA thanked Council member Bonds for her leadership in sponsoring a resolution in the Council of the District of Columbia to commemorate the centennial of the Foreign Service. The resolution was adopted on May 7, 2024. Bonds, who successfully garnered support across the council for this resolution, acknowledged the importance of recognizing Foreign Service members, many of whom call Washington, D.C., home when not on overseas assignment. AFSA President Tom Yazdgerdi highlighted the organization’s role as the leading voice for the Foreign Service both on Capitol Hill and at state and local levels across the country. Yazdgerdi also raised a pressing issue affecting many of our members: enrollment inconsistencies in the District of Columbia Public Schools (DCPS) system that create problems for Foreign Service families attempting to enroll their children in D.C. public schools upon returning from overseas assignments. Currently, DCPS enrollment and residency guidelines offer exceptions for military and foreign embassy personnel who wish to enroll their children in D.C. schools before physically residing in the district. However, these exceptions do not extend to Foreign Service families, who face similar challenges with frequent international relocations. AFSA urged the D.C. Council and DCPS to address this discrepancy by extending the same enrollment residency guideline exceptions to Foreign Service personnel. We emphasized that this change would provide crucial support to our families, ensuring educational stability and continuity for Foreign Service children. AFSA looks forward to continued collaboration with Councilmember Bonds and her staff on this and other D.C.-specific issues that may arise in the future. We remain AFSA President Tom Yazdgerdi with Councilmember Anita Bonds. AFSA/SEAN O’GORMAN AFSA Meets with New Employee Organization AFSA President Tom Yazdgerdi, Secretary Sue Saarnio, State VP Tina Wong, and AFSA staff recently met with representatives of the newly established Limited Non-Career Appointment Association (LNAA). LNAA President and U.S. Vice Consul to Islamabad Donald Valicenti expressed gratitude for AFSA’s ongoing advocacy on behalf of LNAs and outlined the group’s goals on behalf of its membership, emphasizing the interests of Consular Fellows, CA-EFMs, CS LNAs, RN LNAs, and others. During the meeting, LNAA and AFSA discussed LNA advocacy items, such as positive changes to current recruitment processes for LNAs who wish to become career members of the Foreign Service, additional points for LNAs on the FSO register, and the rectification of pay and leave issues. For more information, please contact LNAA at LNAAMember@state.gov. n committed to advocating for the interests of our members and their families, ensuring that their unique needs are recognized and addressed at all levels of government. We will keep our membership updated on any developments regarding the DCPS enrollment policy and other initiatives that affect our community in Washington, D.C., and elsewhere. n —Sean O’Gorman
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy ODIyMDU=