The Foreign Service Journal, November 2009

N O V E M B E R 2 0 0 9 / F O R E I G N S E R V I C E J O U R N A L 55 A FSA General Counsel Sharon Papp breezed through her 10- and 15-year anniversaries at AFSA with hardly a glance back, typical of this hard-working yet modest attorney. AFSA News caught up with her as she recently cel- ebrated her 17th anniversary at AFSA. Born in New Jersey, Sharon spent most of her childhood in Saudi Arabia, where her parents worked for the Arabian American Oil Company. Sharon attended Vanderbilt Uni- versity, followed by The GeorgeWashington University Law School. Sharon has always advocated for individ- uals. Before joining AFSA in 1992, she was employed by a small EEO/employment plaintiff-side law firm in Dupont Circle. Her work at AFSA is varied and interest- ing, with a large focus on discipline and se- curity clearance cases. She often represents employees in OIG and DS investigations. She also liaises withAFSA’s vice presidents on collective bargaining and labor management issues. “I get a great deal of satisfaction from representing em- ployees facing disciplinary action. If an employee has done something wrong, the punishment must be appropriate to the offense and consistent with that imposed upon other em- ployees,” comments Sharon. She adds,“Since I have been here for so long, I know what penalty, if any, the department im- posed in similar cases five or 10 years ago.” This information gives her clients a distinct advantage and often leads to re- duced penalties. While Sharon works with officers and specialists in all cones and specialties, a large contingent of her clients are diplomatic security agents. Finding DS issues particularly in- teresting, she explains,“I have represented agents before sub- committees of Congress, in FBI interviews, and before the State Department Accountability Review Board following the death of FS employees from terrorist incidents abroad. Some of her more interesting cases have included foreign- born spouses who needed security clearances in order to work, numerous security clearance revocations, and institu- tional grievances on behalf of AFSAwhen the department vi- olated the negotiated assignment rules. Sharon attributes her longevity at AFSA to the rewards of her efforts and the close working relationship she has with her colleagues and department counterparts. Sharon is extremely well regarded by colleagues, clients and AFSA staff and board members. Labor Management attorney Zlatana Badrich hails Sharon’s “keen intellect, sharp sense of humor, superior work ethic, unwavering integrity and very real sense of empathy and humanity that make her an ideal advocate.” As a supervisor, says Badrich, “Sharon has translated all these quali- ties and more into our daily working relationships, providing tremendous support to all of us in the labor management office.” She continues,“Sharon works tirelessly on behalf of the AFSA membership. Her name brings trust and respect on both sides of the bargaining table, and her honesty and forthrightness ensure that you know where you stand.” Colleague James Yorke started working at AFSA in 1992, the same year as Sharon. “Sharon's contributions to AFSA — and to the Foreign Service — are so many, so im- portant and so varied. She has gained the deep respect of eight governing boards and all her colleagues inAFSA over the years, and the undying gratitude of the hundreds of clients she has helped.” Former AFSA State VP member Steve Kashkett remembers, “During my four years at AFSA-State, I heard from countless members worldwide how Sharon had helped them with complex and often gut-wrenching prob- lems they had confronted in their careers. She possesses a level of institutional memory and experience that few or- ganizations’ general counsels can claim. For more than a decade-and-a-half, Sharon has been a superb champion on behalf of the employees of the Foreign Service.” Executive Director Ian Houston says, “Sharon’s long ex- perience has only sharpened her enthusiasm for her work.” Houston, who is fond of the Scottish saying,“Whate’er thou art, act well thy part,” believes that Sharon lives up to that challenge. “AFSA is fortunate to have such a wonderful per- son and colleague on our team.” Those who work with Sharon consider themselves fortu- nate. Yorke continues, “Her strong convictions and sense of right and wrong, as well as a deep knowledge of the law, leave us in no doubt about where we should be going and what our priorities should be. But the added bonus is a sympa- thetic and warmhearted personality that makes her a won- derful colleague, a real delight to work with, and a true friend.” Sharon lives in Falls Church, Va., with husband Rick Philbin and their daughters Nicole, 15, and Andrea, 13. They share their lives with two mini-dachshunds, Mookie and Mia. ❏ A F S A N E W S AFSA General Counsel Sharon Papp. She possesses a level of institutional memory and experience that few organiza- tions’ general counsels can claim. — Former AFSA-State VP Steve Kashkett Sharon Papp: Working for Members for 17 Years PROFILES: HONORING AFSA’S LONG-TERM EMPLOYEES