The Foreign Service Journal, November 2014

THE FOREIGN SERVICE JOURNAL | NOVEMBER 2014 75 Oct. 1 marked the one-year anniversary of the Foreign Commercial Service’s new parent organization, Global Markets. The organization had an inauspicious beginning— coinciding with last year’s government shutdown—but we have made up for lost time in recent months. We now have a full-time director general and under secretary for international trade. Thank you, Judy Reinke, John Andersen and Ken Hyatt, for filling in so ably. For the first time in 11 years, we held the worldwide senior commercial officer conference: the Global Mar- kets Global Meeting. Nearly all SCOs (71 of 72) were in Washington, D.C., to hear Commerce Secretary Penny Happy Anniversary, Global Markets! CFC : TWO GREAT WAYS TO SUPPORT AFSA CFC #11759: Foreign Service Youth Scholar- ships–AFSA (also known as the AFSA Scholarship Fund) provides merit awards and undergraduate need-based scholarships to Foreign Service chil- dren whose parents are AFSAmembers. Keep your support in the Foreign Service community. Go to http://afsa.org /cfc. CFC #10646: Diplomacy Matters–AFSA (also known as the Fund for American Diplomacy) demon- strates how the Foreign Service works for America and how U.S. diplomacy is our nation’s first line of defense. FAD outreach targets students, business and community leaders, media and Foreign Service employees. Visit www.afsa.org/fad. NEWS BRIEF FCS VP VOICE | BY STEVE MORRISON AFSA NEWS Views and opinions expressed in this column are solely those of the AFSA FCS VP. Contact: steve.morrison@trade.gov or (202) 482-9088 Pritzker, Under Secretary of Commerce for International Trade Stefan Selig and Direc- tor General and Assistant Secretary for Global Markets Arun Kumar challenge Global Markets to “dare to be great.” The meeting included regional breakout sessions, keynote speakers and a first- class reception with business leaders featuring famed author and New York Times foreign affairs and global trade columnist Thomas Friedman. AFSA had a chance to meet on the margins of the meeting with the SCOs, to present its work plan and accomplishments, and to solicit input.We discussed the recent shortage of promotions and the International Trade Administration consolidation. As for promotions, the new lists will be out by the time you read this.We are encouraged by what we’ve seen so far. AFSA’s work on Capitol Hill— acknowledged and thanked by Deputy Director General Judy Reinke—should result in an increase in the number of pro- motions at each grade level. As for consolidation, the Commerce Department inspector general recently prepared an initial assess- ment based on employee feedback. The most striking aspects so far are a perceived increase in duplication of effort, a perceived increase in unsuccessful or unnecessary programs and 50 percent more respondents feeling that employee feedback would not be successfully acted upon by management. On the plus side, two to three times as many Interna- tional Trade Administration employees felt collaboration within and between business units had increased. Finally, during the year ahead AFSAwill be working to help complete a rewrite of FCS’ language-training program.We will be helping to breathe life into FCS’ newWhen Actually Employed or Reemployed Annuitant program (known as WAE and REA, respectively). We will also help final- ize Phase II and III of the ITA consolidation and scrub the FCS assignment process for possible desirable changes or updates. If you have questions or comments, please call or write to me: (202) 482-9088 or steve.morrison@trade.gov . n ACCEPT I NG NOMI NAT I ONS FOR S I NCLA I RE FORE I GN LANGUAGE AWARD Proficiency in foreign languages is one of the most valuable and important skills in today’s Foreign Service. AFSA’s MatildaW. Sinclaire Language Award recognizes outstanding study of Category III or IV languages and their associated cultures. Candidates may be nominated by their language- training supervisors at FSI, instructors in the field schools or post language officers.Winners receive a $1,000 prize and certificate of recognition. We are now accepting nominations for the 2014 awards. Nomination deadline is Dec. 24, 2014. AFSA is proud to recognize Foreign Service employees for dedication and hard work. For further information, please contact AFSA’s Coor- dinator for Special Awards and Outreach Perri Green at green@afsa.org or (202) 719-9700. ANNOUNCEMENT