AFSA NEWS 68 NOVEMBER 2024 | THE FOREIGN SERVICE JOURNAL Governing Board Welcomes Heather Pishko AFSA welcomes our newest State representative, Heather Pishko, to the Governing Board. Heather joined the Foreign Service as an office management specialist (OMS) in 2006. Her diplomatic journey has taken her to five international posts, including Helsinki, Lima, Frankfurt, Belgrade, and Astana. Domestically, Heather has served in various roles in the Bureau of European and Eurasian Affairs, in FSI’s political training division, at the Florida Regional Center, and, most recently, in the front office of the Near Eastern Affairs Bureau. Before joining the State Department, Heather worked as a patent secretary at several intellectual property law firms in Chicago. She holds a BA in Russian and international studies from Macalester College and a JD from DePaul University College of Law. Heather’s dedication to fostering inclusion was highlighted during her tenure as chair of the Disability Action Group from 2020 to 2022. In addition to her professional achievements, Heather enjoys traveling, reading, and coloring. She is also a dedicated NASCAR fan, sharing a passion for the sport with her sister. Together, they’ve visited six different tracks over the past 20 years—they even got to meet their favorite driver, Ward Burton. Beyond her career and racing fandom, Heather is an avid collector of ostrich figurines, boasting an eclectic collection that includes items made from various materials—even bottle caps. During the pandemic, when a colleague mentioned that he found Shakespeare boring, Heather—a trained Shakespearean actress— took up the challenge. Her performance of the witches’ song from Macbeth won over her colleague and sparked a monthly dramatic reading tradition at the end of staff meetings, bringing a touch of theatrical joy to two years of teleworking. n Heather Pishko A Clean AFSA Audit The American Foreign Service Association is proud to let its members know that for the 15th straight year, the association has received the highest possible commendation in its annual audit: a clean, unmodified opinion. While AFSA is not required by any internal or external regulations to undergo an annual audit, we believe doing so is important to ensure adherence to the strictest financial controls. The accounting firm, Gross Mendelsohn, found no deficiencies in AFSA’s 2023 financial reporting and financial operations. The AFSA Governing Board received the official report at its August board meeting. AFSA Executive Director Ásgeir Sigfússon said, “I should no longer be surprised after 15 years of good news on the audit front, but it’s nonetheless very gratifying to be able to point to this record of success. It’s something we are very proud of, as it assures our members that we take our role as a steward of their resources seriously.” The relevant documents will be posted publicly on the AFSA website in December. n AFSA Governing Board Meeting, August 21, 2024 At their Aug. 21 meeting, the board appointed AFSA State representative Greg Floyd to serve on the Legal Defense Fund Committee. The board accepted the resignation of AFSA State Representative Kimberly Harrington, effective Aug. 22, 2024. The board appointed Heather Pishko to replace Harrington. AFSA’s auditing partner, Gross Mendelsohn, presented the board with a preliminary audit briefing. The board agreed to move its October AFSA Governing Board meeting to Oct. 15 to accommodate a recruitment luncheon the following day. n
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