The Foreign Service Journal, November 2009

54 F O R E I G N S E R V I C E J O U R N A L / N O V E M B E R 2 0 0 9 A F S A N E W S V.P. VOICE: FCS ■ BY KEITH CURTIS A FSA opens doors. This week I had the pleasure of meeting first the noble senator from Maryland, Bar- bara Mikulski, head of the Senate Appropriations Committee, and then our excellent under secretary-designee, Francisco Sanchez. It did not take much effort to explain what our commercial officers do before eliciting the support of these leaders, who are sensitive to our issues. Their posi- tive response was largely because of their ex- perience with our people in the field. Senator Mikulski came to the meeting despite a broken leg, and spoke clearly and elegantly about the urgent need for effective legislation. In response to our concerns, she declared her support for FCS and our pub- lic service. She, more than anyone else, will determine our funding level for Fiscal Year 2010 within the Appropriations Commit- tee. It is largely because of her team’s sup- port that we have a chance of some significant additional funding in the year ahead. Under secretary-designee Francisco Sanchez likes to take his jacket off and roll up his sleeves. So I told him that we are an organization of 24/7 public servants who, by nature, like to dig in and get things done. For us there is nothing more frustrating than not having the basic tools to do our job. He told me that he has already made it a practice to meet with every senior commercial officer that comes through the department and that he has been impressed with our dedica- tion and ability. He is the key to our future and to getting decent funding in FY 2011. His office has already passed to the Office of Manage- ment and Budget the largest increase re- quest for us in the history of the International Trade Administration. If we can navigate the many political hurdles ahead, we may restore our organization to a position of strength. He is intelligent and energetic and committed to making that happen. Neither of these key meetings would have happened without the power of AFSA and the AFSA political action committee. Take a closer look at AFSA-PAC on the Web at www.afsa.org/pac.cfm. And, even if you are unable tomake a donation at this time, please do your part by contacting your legislators (as private citi- zens, of course; not as government representatives or on gov- ernment time). Then keep your fingers crossed. ❏ Cultivating Key Allies We are an organization of 24/7 public servants who, by nature, like to dig in and get things done. Foreign Service Youth Foundation Launches New Web Site In celebration of its 20th year (1989-2009), the Foreign Serv- ice Youth Foundation is pleased to announce the launch of its new and improvedWeb site. Only the URL address remains the same (www.fsyf.org ). The new site has more content for parents and kids, and is easier to navigate. With pages dedicated to FSYF contests, activi- ties and newsletters, as well as more general information on re- entry to the U.S., there's something for everyone. We even have a U.S. history high school study page for those who are unable to get American history courses overseas. When visiting the newWeb site, please consider joining as a paid member. A three-year family membership is only $30. As a non-profit organization serving U.S. Foreign Service youth around the globe, FSYF relies on corporate sponsors, individual donors, membership dues, publications sales and program fees for funding. Nonetheless, membership is not required to partici- pate in FSYF activities. AFSA Post Reps — Are You Ready for Your Close-Up? If you’re a busy AFSA representative who’s willing to be profiled in an upcoming issue of AFSA News , we’d like to hear from you. Tell us about yourself, your country of assignment and what you do for AFSA members at post. Contact AFSA News Editor Francesca Kelly via e-mail at kelly@afsa.org — and be prepared to send a photo of yourself, too. AFSA Members Overseas: Is your wonderful AFSA post rep too shy to step forward? Please informally nominate your rep for an AFSA News profile (see contact info above). Send us the name of your AFSA rep and where you are, and we’ll do the rest. Ten Years Ago in AFSA News ... From John Naland’s VP State column, AFSA News , November 1999: Last April, a study commissioned by the department and done by the consulting firmMcKinsey & Company warned that State will find it increasingly difficult in the coming years to attract, de- velop, motivate and retain top talent. The reasons given include changing demographics in the job market, increasing mobility of the work force, and gaps in the department’s ability to meet em- ployee expectations. ❏ AFSA NEWS BRIEFS