Department of State
Thomas Yazdgerdi, State Vice President
Greetings! I am honored to serve as your Vice President representing the interests of Foreign Service officers and specialists of the U.S. Department of State. I believe strongly in the importance of AFSA's dual role as the professional association and public sector union for the Department's 14,000 active-duty Foreign Service employees, and I am excited to play my part in making the 2021-2023 AFSA Governing Board a success on behalf of our members.
Like many of you, I share your desire to ensure that the Foreign Service continues to thrive, that we continue to play our part, and that together we build a stronger future for the United States, and globally. During my two-year term I look forward to addressing these issues at the Department for all Foreign Service employees. The challenges facing the Service are many, but with your help we can tackle them together.
Accomplishing our mission may be tougher than ever, and alone we won’t have all the answers. I am serious when I say that we welcome your suggestions and ideas on how best to develop, support, and defend the Foreign Service and Department of State. Please feel free to call, email, or stop by HST Room 2805 next time you're in the building and say hi and share your thoughts and concerns. I look forward to working with you.
HST 2805 | (202) 647-8160 | Click here to send me an email!
Columns from The Foreign Service Journal
- Your Pension Should Be Your Pension, Period (Jun 2023)
- The Dreaded Washington Assignment (May 2023)
- The Vibe from Foreign Service Orientation Classes (Apr 2023)
- AFSA Wins in the New Year (Mar 2023)
- Focusing on Our Specialist Members (Jan-Feb 2023)
- 2022—A Year of Engagement and Progress (Dec 2022)
- The Foreign Service Reform Agenda (Nov 2022)
- Progress on Equity for Local FS Hires (Oct 2022)
- Family Member Employment—An AFSA Priority (Sep 2022)
- Time for an Office of Conflict Resolution (Jul-Aug 2022)
- Ongoing Issues at State (June 2022)
- Locality Pay for Local FS Hires: It’s Time (May 2022)
- The Need for Data-Driven DEIA Decisions (Apr 2022)
- Reforming the Assignments Process (Mar 2022)
- A Better Workplace Culture in 2022 (Jan-Feb 2022)
- 2021: A Year of Unrealized Potential? (Dec 2021)
- Update on Priority Issues for Members (Nov 2021)
- Assignment Restrictions: Hoping for Real Change (Oct 2021)
- Revitalizing the Core Precepts (Sep 2021)
- Should the Foreign Service Act of 1980 Be Overhauled? (Jul-Aug 2021)
- Telework: Productive and Family Friendly (Jun 2021)
- The Importance of Leadership Training (May 2021)
- Are Linked Assignments Worth It Anymore? (Apr 2021)
- AFSA Needs a Second Full-Time Labor Management Position at State (Mar 2021)
- Reforming the State Department (Jan-Feb 2021)
- 2020: How Are We Doing? (Dec 2020)
- Time for an Office of Conflict Resolution (Nov 2020)
- Blind EERs: Would They Make Sense? (Oct 2020)
- Diversity and Inclusion: The Time to Act Is Now (Sep 2020)
- COVID-19 and the Summer Transfer Season (Jul-Aug 2020)
- Looking Out for Our Newest Colleagues (Jun 2020)
- Working for You During This Trying Time (May 2020)
- Giving the MSI the Attention It Deserves (Apr 2020)
- Being Treated More Like Our Military (Mar 2020)
- Professional Liability Insurance: Peace of Mind in a Troubled Time (Jan-Feb 2020)
- Understanding Why People Leave the Foreign Service (Dec 2019)
- One Foreign Service (Nov 2019)
- Bidding Season Comes Around Again (Oct 2019)
- Starting Out (Sep 2019)