The Foreign Service Journal, November 2014

84 NOVEMBER 2014 | THE FOREIGN SERVICE JOURNAL AFSA NEWS AFSA Salutes Congressional Fellows and Director Jeffrey Biggs On Sept. 22, AFSA hosted a reception to recognize this year’s congressional fellows from the Department of State, and to honor Jeffrey R. Biggs, director of the American Political Science Association’s Congressional Fellowship Program. Biggs, a former FSO, is retiring from his post this fall. For more than 60 years, members of the Foreign Service have participated in APSA’s Congressional Fel- lowship Program, which was established in 1953 and is the oldest such program. More than 2,000 politi- cal scientists, journalists, doctors, federal executives, international scholars and health policy experts have gone through the selective and nonpartisan program since it began, and more than 200 of them have been Foreign Service members. Congressional Fellows spend nine months work- ing on congressional staffs, expanding their knowledge and awareness of Congress. Dr. Biggs, who has directed the CFP since 1997, retired from his post at the end of September. Before joining APSA’s Congressional Fellowship Program, he was a Foreign Service officer with the U.S. Information Agency for 21 years. He served in Brazil, Portugal and Bolivia, and was a Foreign Affairs APSA Congressional Fellow himself in 1985 (working for Representative Thomas Foley, (D-Wash.) and Senator Alan Simpson (R-Wyo.). Dr. Biggs says programs such as these are important not only because they allow the Foreign Service to gain a better understanding of the legislative process, but also because they are an oppor- tunity for Foreign Service officers to give the Hill a better familiarity with what a Foreign Service officer does. He adds: “The better you understand Congress and how Congress is likely to react, the better you can cast your for- eign policy in light of that.” n –Debra Blome, Associate Editor From left: AFSA State VP Matthew Asada, retiring Director of Congressional Fellowship Program Director Jeffrey R. Biggs and AFSA Executive Director Ian Houston. AFSA/DEBRABLOME Voice of America Director Shares Vision for the Future On Sept. 9, AFSA and the Public Diplomacy Council hosted Voice of America Director David Ensor to discuss “The Future of the Voice of America.” Ensor gave his perspective on the role of the VOA and other U.S. international broadcast- ing efforts in a changing media environment and why he thinks it is so important that VOA continues to operate. David Ensor was sworn in as the 28th director of the Voice of America on June 16, 2011. He joined VOA after an extensive career in journalism and communications. Most recently he served as director of communications and public diplomacy at Embassy Kabul. In a question-and-answer session after the talk, Ensor discussed a number of issues, from the particular growth in readership and viewership among young women to one of VOA’s major goals moving forward: “To build support in this country for this wonderful national treasure.” To view Ensor’s talk, please go to www.afsa.org/video. n –Brittany DeLong, Assistant Editor AFSA/DEBRABLOME