28 DECEMBER 2024 | THE FOREIGN SERVICE JOURNAL MG: It was an enormous amount of fun to work on Believers for two years with John. We enjoyed every part of the effort. It makes a great holiday gift! FSJ: How did you get involved with the Senior Living Foundation (SLF), and what should our readers know about that organization? MG: I first got involved with the SLF as Director General or P [under secretary for political affairs], when I was asked to be one of the department’s liaisons on the board of directors. When I retired in 2005, I became chair of the board. The SLF’s mission is “Taking Care of Our Own.” Thanks to our very generous donors, the SLF provides retired Foreign Service members in need with critical eldercare resources and assistance. These include care management services, home care, medical expenses, basic living costs, prepared meal services, and emergency aid. In both 2022 and 2023, the SLF’s spending to meet both standing and new commitments doubled from its pre-COVID budget. This is not surprising given inflation and the increased need for the foundation’s services. The SLF is in good shape, and we are especially proud that we have never turned away a qualified former colleague in need of support. SLF’s Parent Program, now in its sixth year, provides essential support to our active-duty colleagues, particularly those serving abroad, who have aging parents qualifying for help. In most cases, the foundation connects colleagues to highly trained professionals. These professionals then provide comprehensive and effective resources, planning, and support for both immediate and long-term caregiving needs. This allows active-duty Foreign Service personnel to focus on their missions while knowing that their parents, including stepparents and in-laws, are well cared for. The SLF has a fantastic staff, led by Executive Director Kyle Longton. The foundation would not exist without the strong support of the American Foreign Service Protective Association (AFSPA). AFSA, DACOR, and the State Department are also key supporters. The board is a wonderful, creative group of individuals devoted to the SLF mission. Being chair of the SLF Board is among the most uplifting things I have the pleasure to do. Foreign Service Reform FSJ: You’ve been a strong voice for Foreign Service reform for many years and, notably, one of the lead authors of the Harvard University Belfer Center 2020 report, “A U.S. Diplomatic Service for the 21st Century,” and Arizona State University’s “Blueprints for a More Modern U.S. Diplomatic Service” (2022), both supported by the Una Chapman Cox Foundation. Has the administration been receptive to the input? Have any of the reform recommendations been adopted; and if so, which ones? MG: As you highlight, the Biden administration came into office having received several studies recommending important changes in how the United States carries out its diplomacy. Forty years after the passage of the Foreign Service Act of 1980, the time had come to identify what about the Foreign Service needed to be upgraded, modernized, or changed to meet contemporary challenges. U.S. Special Representative for Pakistan and Afghanistan Marc Grossman (second from left) shakes hands with Pakistani Foreign Minister Rabbani Khad (second from right), prior to their meeting in Islamabad on April 26, 2012. Grossman held talks with Pakistan and Afghan counterparts on how to rebuild the relationship and on peace efforts in Afghanistan. AP PHOTO/ANJUM NAVEED
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy ODIyMDU=