The Foreign Service Journal, November 2006

82 F OR E I GN S E R V I C E J OU R N A L / NOV EMB E R 2 0 0 6 A F S A N E W S AFSA NEWS BRIEFS Staff: Executive Director Susan Reardon: reardon@afsa.org Business Department Controller Steven Tipton: tipton@afsa.org Accounting Assistant Jon Reed: reed@afsa.org Labor Management General Counsel Sharon Papp: papps@state.gov Labor Management Attorney Zlatana Badrich: badrichz@state.gov Labor Management Specialist James Yorke: yorkej@state.gov Grievance Attorneys Neera Parikh: parikhna@state.gov and Charles Garten: gartenc@state.gov Office Manager Christine Warren: warrenc@state.gov USAID Senior Labor Management Adviser Douglas Broome: dbroome@usaid.gov USAID Office Manager Asgeir Sigfusson: asigfusson@usaid.gov Member Services Director Janet Hedrick: hedrick@afsa.org Representative Cory Nishi: nishi@afsa.org Web-site & Database Associate Sheng Zhao: zhao@afsa.org Administrative Assistant Ana Lopez: lopez@afsa.org Outreach Programs Retiree Liaison Bonnie Brown: brown@afsa.org Director of Communications Thomas Switzer: switzer@afsa.org Congressional Affairs Director Ian Houston: houston@afsa.org Executive Assistant to the President Austin Tracy: tracy@afsa.org Scholarship Director Lori Dec: dec@afsa.org Professional Issues Coordinator Barbara Berger: berger@afsa.org Retiree Recruitment Coordinator Norma Reyes: reyes@afsa.org Elderhostel Coordinator Janice Bay: bay@afsa.org AFSA HEADQUARTERS: (202) 338-4045; Fax: (202) 338-6820 STATE DEPARTMENT AFSA OFFICE: (202) 647-8160; Fax: (202) 647-0265 USAID AFSA OFFICE: (202) 712-1941; Fax: (202) 216-3710 FCS AFSA OFFICE: (202) 482-9088; Fax: (202) 482-9087 AFSA WEB SITE: www.afsa.org AFSA E-MAIL: afsa@afsa.org FSJ: journal@afsa.org PRESIDENT: holmes@afsa.org STATE VP: kashkettsb@state.gov RETIREE VP: 42reuwash@earthlink.net USAID VP: fzamora@usaid.gov FCS VP: donald.businger@mail.doc.gov AFSA News Editor Shawn Dorman : dorman@afsa.org (202) 338-4045 x 503; Fax: (202) 338-8244 On the Web : www.afsa.org/news How to Contact Us: Governing Board: PRESIDENT: J. Anthony Holmes STATE VICE PRESIDENT: Steven Kashkett USAID VICE PRESIDENT: Francisco Zamora FCS VICE PRESIDENT: Donald Businger FAS VICE PRESIDENT: Vacant RETIREE VICE PRESIDENT: David Reuther SECRETARY: Tex Harris TREASURER: Andrew Winter STATE REPRESENTATIVES: Alan Misenheimer, Hugh Neighbour, Joyce Namde, Randy Steen, Daphne Titus, Andrew Young, Andrea Zomaszewicz and Sandy Robinson USAID REPRESENTATIVE: Mike Henning FCS REPRESENTATIVE: William Center FAS REPRESENTATIVE: Robert Curtis IBB REPRESENTATIVE: Vacant RETIREE REPRESENTATIVES: Leonard J. Baldyga, Roger Dankert, Larry Lesser and Gilbert Sheinbaum L ate on Sept. 29, Congress went on recess, allowing members to focus their full attention and energies on the upcoming November elec- tions. Many items remain unresolved, including crit- ical decisions related to funding of key foreign and humanitarian assistance programs. Of particular interest to AFSA is pending legislation that would close the locality pay gap. Addressing the locality-pay inequity has been a pri- ority for AFSA for this session of Congress. The wan- ing days of this session had AFSA playing an aggres- sive but largely behind-the-scenes role engaging key decisionmakers. In separate letters to Senate Foreign Relations Committee Chairman Richard Lugar, R-Ind., and Ranking Foreign Relations Committee Democrat Senator Joseph Biden, D-Del., AFSA President Tony Holmes wrote: “With the increasing difficulty of ser- vice overseas and a continuing threat against American officials abroad, this measure (bill) may be the single most important morale booster that Congress could provide at this time.” While significant progress was made in brokering a final agreement, Congress unfortunately missed a golden opportunity to at last tackle the pay-equity problem. Despite the six-week recess and an elec- tion that may completely shift power in Congress, AFSA remains cautiously hopeful that a solution can be achieved in the “lame-duck” session prior to offi- cial completion of the 109th Congress. The 109th will reconvene for final votes on the evening of Nov. 13. AFSA will continue to hold congressional feet to the fire. Congress Breaks for Recess: Much Work Remains Combined Federal Campaign Kickoff: Choose #2422 and #2460 It’s that time of year again, time to consider which worthy organizations you want to support through your CFC donation. Please consider designating #2422 and #2460 on your CFC pledge card to support AFSA. • The American Foreign Service Association Scholarship Fund (#2422) provides scholarship money to Foreign Service children to help pay for their college education. • The Fund for American Diplomacy (#2460) educates the public on the critical role of U.S. diplomacy in the world. Through grass-roots education programs, we show how the Foreign Service contributes to America’s national security and economic prosperity. Visit www.afsa.org or call (202) 944-5504 for more information. State Department employees (active- duty or retired) can obtain a CFC pledge form from and return it to Shelly Kornegay in the Office of Employee Relations, reachable at (202) 261-8166 or kornegaysv@state.gov .