2015 afsa candidate statements

16
AFSA NEWS THE OFFICIAL RECORD OF THE AMERICAN FOREIGN SERVICE ASSOCIATION AFSA Governing Board Election for the 2015 to 2017 Term SPECIAL ELECTION ISSUE | APRIL 2015 1 Representatives: Philip G. Laidlaw * State Rep Steven M. Jones State Rep Margaret Hawthorne * State Rep Leah M. Pease * State Rep Josh Glazeroff * State Rep Doug Morrow State Rep Peter Neisuler * State Rep Eric Geelan * State Rep Dan Spokojny ** State Rep Pat Kabra ** State Rep Lawrence Casselle * State Rep Tricia Wingerter * State Rep John Dinkelman * State Rep Erin O’Connor * State Rep Sam Thielman * State Rep Homeyra Mokhtarzada ** State Rep Ronita Macklin ** State Rep Ronnie S. Catipon State Rep Steve McCain ** State Rep Joel Wisner ** State Rep Brynn C. Bennett ** State Rep Neeru Lal ** State Rep Lorraine Sherman USAID Rep Jeff Cochrane USAID Rep William Kutson FCS Rep Dean Haas * Retiree Rep Alphonse F. La Porta * Retiree Rep Patricia Butenis * Retiree Rep John Limbert Retiree Rep ELECTION COMMITTEE MEMBERS Hon. Robert W. Farrand, Chair Jenna Bucha Mort Dworken Russell Knight Contact the Election Committee by email at [email protected] Staff Members Ian Houston, Executive Director Sharon Papp, General Counsel Janet Hedrick, Director, Member Services n SPECIAL ELECTION EDITION AMERICAN FOREIGN SERVICE ASSOCIATION • APRIL 2015 Officers: Position: Barbara Stephenson * President Matthew K. Asada ** President Tex Harris President Bill Haugh * Secretary Charles A. Ford * Treasurer Angie Bryan * State VP Kit Junge State VP Sharon Wayne USAID VP Steve Morrison FCS VP Larry Cohen Retiree VP Tom Boyatt Retiree VP Charles A. Ray ** Retiree VP * Member of the Strong Diplomacy slate ** Member of the Future Forward AFSA slate

Upload: diplopundit

Post on 22-Dec-2015

5.763 views

Category:

Documents


1 download

DESCRIPTION

Statements of AFSA candidates for 2015 Election

TRANSCRIPT

Page 1: 2015 AFSA Candidate Statements

AFSA NEWS THE OFFICIAL RECORD OF THE AMERICAN FOREIGN SERVICE ASSOCIATION

AFSA Governing Board Election for the 2015 to 2017 Term

SPECIAL ELECTION ISSUE | APRIL 2015 1

Representatives:

Philip G. Laidlaw * State Rep

Steven M. Jones State Rep

Margaret Hawthorne * State Rep

Leah M. Pease * State Rep

Josh Glazeroff * State Rep

Doug Morrow State Rep

Peter Neisuler * State Rep

Eric Geelan * State Rep

Dan Spokojny ** State Rep

Pat Kabra ** State Rep

Lawrence Casselle * State Rep

Tricia Wingerter * State Rep

John Dinkelman * State Rep

Erin O’Connor * State Rep

Sam Thielman * State Rep

Homeyra Mokhtarzada ** State Rep

Ronita Macklin ** State Rep

Ronnie S. Catipon State Rep

Steve McCain ** State Rep

Joel Wisner ** State Rep

Brynn C. Bennett ** State Rep

Neeru Lal ** State Rep

Lorraine Sherman USAID Rep

Jeff Cochrane USAID Rep

William Kutson FCS Rep

Dean Haas * Retiree Rep

Alphonse F. La Porta * Retiree Rep

Patricia Butenis * Retiree Rep

John Limbert Retiree Rep

E L ECT I O N CO M M I T T E E M E M B E RS

Hon. Robert W. Farrand, Chair

Jenna Bucha

Mort Dworken

Russell Knight

Contact the Election Committee by email

at [email protected]

Staff Members

Ian Houston, Executive Director

Sharon Papp, General Counsel

Janet Hedrick, Director, Member Services n

S P EC I A L E L ECT I O N E D I T I O NA M E R I CA N FO R E I G N S E RV I C E ASSO C I AT I O N • A P R I L 20 1 5

Officers: Position:

Barbara Stephenson * President

Matthew K. Asada ** President

Tex Harris President

Bill Haugh * Secretary

Charles A. Ford * Treasurer

Angie Bryan * State VP

Kit Junge State VP

Sharon Wayne USAID VP

Steve Morrison FCS VP

Larry Cohen Retiree VP

Tom Boyatt Retiree VP

Charles A. Ray ** Retiree VP

* Member of the Strong Diplomacy slate

** Member of the Future Forward AFSA slate

Page 2: 2015 AFSA Candidate Statements

2 APRIL 2015 | SPECIAL ELECTION ISSUE

AFSA ELECTIONS 2015-2017

Barbara Stephenson for President *The Foreign Service is at a critical juncture—in a moment

of institutional fragility that calls for strong leadership and

clear vision. That was the argument former AFSA Presidents

and some of the giants of American diplomacy made when

they approached me to run for AFSA President.

Deeply committed to our profession, still beaming with

pride to serve, yet acutely aware of the challenges that are

eating away at our institution, I realized this was not a call I

could ignore. I committed to run if and only if I could build a

first-rate slate united by a shared vision and determined to

make the most of AFSA, the voice of the Foreign Service.

AFSA members, I proudly present the Strong Diplomacy

slate, representing the best of the Foreign Service and drawn

from across cones and specialties. Many of the most reward-

ing moments in my Foreign Service career up to now have

come while leading Country Teams, with their rich mix of

agencies, FSO’s and specialists pulling together to deliver

key foreign policy goals. With this remarkably qualified and

committed slate joining me in pursuit of another of my great

passions—unleashing the unmatched talent of the Foreign

Service through the best leadership and management—I

believe we can, with your help, turn this moment of fragility

into a great opportunity to strengthen the Foreign Service in

fact and in reputation--and better serve our country.

The Strong Diplomacy slate is committed to Building a

Strong Foreign Service to Lead America’s Foreign Policy. If

elected, we will be guided in our decisions by this central test:

“Does it make the Foreign Service stronger?” With so many

still new to our profession, we have committed as a slate to an

active program of member outreach and mentoring. We won’t

just wait for you to come to AFSA when you have a problem

(though we will of course be there for you); we will actively

engage with you to determine key issues for advocacy support

and enhanced member services and benefits.

Armed with a nuanced understanding of the aspirations

and concerns of AFSA’s 16,000 members, we will, after a com-

prehensive review of all current collective bargaining agree-

ments, engage strategically with Department management to

ensure a healthy, fair, attractive career path—vital for a strong

professional Foreign Service. In this work, we will draw first on

core diplomatic skills of persuasion and the search for com-

mon ground, opening by assuming that management shares

our goal of a strong Foreign Service. We will seek to maximize

our influence by being an indispensable partner in shaping

decisions before they are made.

In order to achieve this ambitious agenda, I need your help.

I ask you to vote for me and for all the members of the Strong

Diplomacy slate so we can form a united AFSA Governing

Board. To those of you who have said you would like to do

more to support this effort, I invite you to visit our Facebook

page (Strong Diplomacy-AFSA 2015), where you will find

opportunities to sign up as an Associate or volunteer to men-

tor, serve on a working group, or help organize the volunteer

effort. Together we can build the strong Foreign Service our

nation needs.

Bio note: Barbara Stephenson is currently Dean of the

Leadership and Management School at FSI, where she

launched a Department-wide dialogue—the Leadership

Roundtable—to improve leadership and management at

State. She served previously as Ambassador to Panama and

DCM/Charge in London. She won a Distinguished Honor

Award for delivering the “civilian surge” to Iraq—without

breaking the back of the Foreign Service. She also served as

Consul General in Belfast and CG and COM in Curacao. With

nearly thirty years of service, she entered as a political officer

and has since served interfunctionally, meeting the needs of

the Service whenever and wherever called.

Matthew K. Asada for President **For the past four years, I have represented State Depart-

ment active-duty members, initially as an AFSA Representa-

tive, and more recently as their full-time Vice President.

Now, I am asking for the entire membership’s support

as the Future Forward AFSA candidate for President (www.

futureforwardafsa.com).

I am running to build on the strong record of accomplish-

ment of this Governing Board and to maintain AFSA as an

independent voice for the Foreign Service.

This Board has made tremendous progress on its strategic

plan (http://afsa.org/strategicplan) to improve governance,

benefits and quality of work/life, career and professional

development, security, and outreach. We have:

2015-2017 AFSA Governing Board ElectionCandidates’ Statements

Page 3: 2015 AFSA Candidate Statements

SPECIAL ELECTION ISSUE | APRIL 2015 3

AFSA ELECTIONS 2015-2017

Instituted an annual review process for the Executive

Director and approved a bylaw amendment to right size the

Governing Board;

Established an employee leave bank and gained access to

TSA Pre-Check;

Inaugurated an SA-3 shower facility and an FSI Capital

BikeShare station;

Launched a Chief of Mission initiative led by Retiree VP-

candidate Charlie Ray that resulted in new COM guidelines

and online posting of nominees’ “certificates of demonstrated

competence”;

Focused the Department’s attention on the problem of

career paths and the “pig in the python”;

Improved security awareness and language training for

employees;

Celebrated AFSA’s 90th anniversary and contributed to the

groundbreaking of the new US Diplomacy Center.

For more see the 2014 and 2013 annual reports (http://

afsa.org/annualreport).

The President represents the entire Foreign Service, not

just the State Department. During the last four years I have

built strong relationships with USAID Vice President Sharon

Wayne and FCS Vice President Steve Morrison. Together we

have facilitated employees’ access to programs such as CBP

Global Entry and the Department’s extended lodging program.

Drawing on my experience as a congressional fellow with

then Representative, now Senator, Gary Peters from Michigan,

I have strengthened AFSA’s congressional relations. In the

last two years AFSA has hosted more Member of Congress,

more congressional receptions, and more advocacy days than

ever before. If elected, I will continue to lead congressional

engagement on AFSA priorities such as Overseas Comparabil-

ity Pay and Foreign Service-relevant provisions of the Service

Members Civil Relief Act.

I am proud of this Board’s record on diversity, particularly

its efforts to reform the Department’s assignment restriction

and preclusion programs. As a fourth generation Japanese-

American, whose grandparents were interned during World

War II, my family shared with me what it’s like to have one’s

loyalty questioned because of race or ethnicity.

The Foreign Service is more than a job, it is our profession

and calling. With your support I look forward to leading the

AFSA Governing Board as it tackles the tough challenges fac-

ing our union and professional association today.

Vote Future Forward AFSA when you cast your ballots (now

online—thanks to the work of the previous Board!).

---

Future Forward AFSA is a group of ten independent,

diverse, and innovative Foreign Service professionals running

for the positions of President, Retiree Vice President, and

State Representative with considerable Foreign Service, AFSA,

and congressional experience. Half are currently serving on

the Governing Board and half are new faces; all look forward

to building on the work of the current Board. They believe

strongly in AFSA's dual role as the Foreign Service’s profes-

sional association and union representing all skill codes and

specialties from active duty through retirement. Respectful

always, but willing to dissent when necessary, Future Forward

AFSA is ready and willing to hold agency management to

account.

With Future Forward AFSA you can rest assured that the

union will continue to make strategic use of the tools pro-

vided for in the Foreign Service Act. We will continue to fight

for the employees that never received their 2013 and 2014

Meritorious Service Increases and those from whom Overseas

Comparability Pay was inappropriately deducted. Future For-

ward AFSA is ideally placed to continue AFSA’s advocacy with

management of our foreign affairs agencies and our congres-

sional partners.

www.futureforwardafsa.com—Let’s Go!

Tex Harris for PresidentThe Foreign Service’s advantage of institutional speed

and flexibility to put “the right person, in the right place, at

the right time” makes it highly vulnerable to incursions by

Politicals, “Securocrats” and Civil Servants. This flexible

design lacks institutional protections against the job ousting

of career FS professionals. In the past, the Service was stoutly

defended by the DG, senior active FSOs, Congress, and AFSA.

All absent today.

As the most junior “Young Turk," former AFSA Prexy and

dissenter, I stand to warn that AFSA is neither trying, nor able

to protect the Foreign Service profession.

As a drafter of the grievance procedures, I applaud that

AFSA’s work for individual members is working well. But AFSA

is not using its union rights and professional tools to protect

the Service as an institution. The relentless attack continues.

In our now compartmentalized Service, no active members

or institutions are fighting against the system wide erosion.

The system’s experts are HR Civil Servants and short term

Politicals intent on exploiting the system’s weaknesses for

Page 4: 2015 AFSA Candidate Statements

4 APRIL 2015 | SPECIAL ELECTION ISSUE

AFSA ELECTIONS 2015-2017

their immediate benefit.

The slates divide on the strategy AFSA needs to advance

its members’ interests—softer or harder. AFSA today is well

funded, staffed; but not organized to protect its members’

collective interests. AFSA lacks direction and effective gover-

nance procedures. It needs an “OIG inspection.”

AFSA’s current top mandates are to protect individual

members and to grow “AFSA as a business.” It spends lavishly

on representational gestures—ceremonies, cocktails and

dinners to impress Management and Congress; but almost

nothing on key monitoring and advocacy work to defend our

profession.

AFSA counts on the American Academy of Diplomacy

(AAD) and former AFSA Presidents to engage on the Ser-

vice’s major professional battles, while it turns inward—mass

mailings to sell its FS coins and grave markers; treats ninety

Senior management officials to a $125/plate dinner at its

90th Anniversary celebration; but AFSA launches no major

studies on the challenges to the Service. Its costly “big data”

computer system designed to enlist members’ support for

major political efforts stands underused. AFSA has become an

organization of gesture; not action.

Case studies of AFSA silence tell the story:

FS leadership jobs are taken for political appointees,

“Securocrats” from party aligned think tanks, and Civil Ser-

vants. This greatly diminishes US diplomacy now and in the

future. Every Senior FS position lost costs five promotions

yearly and increases early outs.

40% record high of Political Ambassadorships is reached -

a number to patently unqualified mega donors. AFSA is silent,

as it would be “inappropriate” to speak out given its relation-

ship with the WH Office of Presidential Personnel.

DG candidates are reportedly asked if they will agree to set

aside three Ambassadorships to reward career GSers. AFSA’s

unquestioning. Every Ambassadorship lost is five fewer pro-

motions every year.

Senate fight against unqualified Pay-to-Play Ambas-

sadors— a national issue—is carried forth by former AFSA

Presidents; not AFSA.

AFSA’s President meets alone with DS’ head and, in effect,

waives the Vance Memorandum’s strict protection against

State employees being recorded w/o their permission; he fails

to inform Board for 10 weeks, until challenged.

AFSA President sets up ad hoc Committee, with former

head of WH Presidential Personnel, to write “modern” qualifi-

cations for American Ambassadors that dramatically under-

cut the FS Act’s high standards. AFSA staff spends months

selling it. Later, President cannot tell press whether weak

Pay-to-Play Ambassadors meet this low bar standard. Result

is waste of hundreds of staff hours, a self-inflicted wound to

our profession, but plaudits from the WH and 7th floor.

Check YOUTUBE presentations at http://tinyurl.com/

texdiplomacy-matters and BLOG at https://tex-harris.square-

space.com/blog.

The FS’ strength of a flexible, rank-in-person personnel

system is its weakness, making it highly vulnerable to political

abuses. AFSA is the key institution to defend our profession.

AFSA has failed and must do better for the nation, as well

as for our Service. Elections are about issues. Your vote will

decide.

Bill Haugh for Secretary *I am running for AFSA Board Secretary on the Strong

Diplomacy slate, supporting Barbara Stephenson for AFSA

President and Angie Bryan for State Vice President. I’m proud

to join Chuck Ford, our slate’s candidate for Treasurer.

A career-long AFSA member, I share Barbara and Angie’s

view that AFSA members’ interest will be advanced by re-

establishing the Foreign Service as a leading voice in foreign

policy formulation and execution. Asserting our bargaining

rights is important—be assured the Strong Diplomacy slate

has the experience, focus, and negotiating skill to do so. We

are convinced, however, that real advances come when the

Foreign Service shows clearly the value-added that our unique

competency and capability bring in service to the nation.

That is why our slate agreed on a simple, powerful litmus test

to judge any initiative or proposal: does it make the Foreign

Service stronger?

The AFSA Secretary facilitates the Board’s work and

promotes due process by chairing the governance commit-

tee and leading staff evaluations. Enabling and supporting

the work of the Foreign Service community—seeking out and

hearing others’ views—are what I have done for almost 35

years. As a Management Officer overseas, I learned to wel-

come a wide range of views. I engaged post AFSA representa-

tives constructively and transparently to make life better for

the community. In Washington, I’ve been on the management

side of the table as we negotiated with AFSA to implement

changes to regulations. As Chair of the Washington ICASS

Executive Board, I helped achieve consensus among the for-

eign affairs agencies on initiatives like the world-wide furniture

Page 5: 2015 AFSA Candidate Statements

SPECIAL ELECTION ISSUE | APRIL 2015 5

AFSA ELECTIONS 2015-2017

pool. I served in three regional bureaus, on the Seventh Floor,

in hardship posts and European capitals, in the M Family, and

a functional bureau. Dean of the School of Language Stud-

ies 2012-14, I championed foreign language skills, a strategic

asset for the Foreign Service and the nation.

As Barbara Stephenson says, we are at a crossroads. Bar-

bara has brought together a diverse slate from all cones and

many specialties, wizened veterans and energetic mid-levels,

active duty and retired, from across the foreign affairs agen-

cies. We are eager to work on behalf of you, your colleagues,

and your family and household members. With your support

the Strong Diplomacy slate will lead AFSA on the right path.

William Haugh Bio note: I joined the Foreign Service in

1980. A Senior Foreign Service Management Officer, I was

until recently Executive Director at FSI. I retire in April 2015. I

am married to Kathryn; we have two daughters who grew up

at posts around the world and in Washington.

Charles A. Ford for Treasurer *It has been my privilege to serve since 2013 as your

Treasurer. As an enthusiastic member of the Strong Diplo-

macy Slate led by Ambassador Barbara Stephenson, I write

to request your vote for re-election. Our Foreign Service is at

a critical juncture—in a moment of institutional fragility that

calls for the strong leadership and clear vision that Barbara

will provide.

As Treasurer I will focus on undertaking additional invest-

ments in modernizing AFSA operations and enhancing the

professionalism of our already strong AFSA staff. As together

we take advantage of future opportunities while overcoming

current obstacles, I am pleased to report that the financial

state of our union is strong! This is not an accident but the

result of the firm leadership of past Treasurers and Governing

Boards. We face our new future standing on a solid founda-

tion.

With over 16,000 members, AFSA has grown together with

the Foreign Service. We have a professional staff of 40 and

an annual operating budget of $4.5million. Our investments

are almost $10 million. We own our headquarters building.

In 2014 we innovated and created a new annual capital and

maintenance budget allowing us to anticipate capital expen-

ditures, thus minimizing risk and exposure in our operating

budget. A third party survey of our membership to determine

their interests, priority concerns and level of engagement was

another innovation. One result of the survey was in the 2014

and 2015 budgets to direct even more resources (including

staff) to support member priorities: our Advocacy, Profession-

alism and Ethics, and Legal Services programs.

With your vote, I look forward to leading our effort to

allocate our human and financial resources to attain strategic

goals that we establish together. Under Barbara Stephenson’s

leadership, together we will define our new future and engage

forcefully but constructively with all of our stakeholders to

strengthen the Foreign Service in fact and in reputation—and

better serve our country. We have the resources to achieve

our goals if we employ them strategically.

During my 30 year career in the Foreign Commercial Ser-

vice I served for over five years as our Acting Director General

with a focus on strategic planning, performance management,

program evaluation and budget formulation and execution.

As Ambassador to Honduras, I led a mission with over 400

employees working together to resource and achieve national

interest goals. It will be an honor to work under Ambassador

Stephenson’s leadership. Given our resources, with vision

and leadership, I have no doubt we can achieve our goal of a

stronger Foreign Service.

Angie Bryan for State VP *When Barbara Stephenson asked me to run for State VP

as part of her Strong Diplomacy slate, I hesitated, unsure

whether AFSA could make a difference on issues that con-

cerned me. As she outlined her vision of a stronger Foreign

Service, taking the lead in foreign policy, I began to envision

what AFSA could be, given the right leadership and energy.

I now picture AFSA as an organization with the potential to

represent the Foreign Service to Congress, the media, and the

American people; uphold the provisions of the Foreign Service

Act; hold our leadership accountable; and help our less-

experienced colleagues develop the skills to build the Foreign

Service of the future. In order for them to do so, however, a

full career path must be available to them. Consequently, one

of our slate’s top priorities will be to advocate for such a path

as part of establishing a stronger Foreign Service.

We believe that all of the above can be done in a profes-

sional and collegial manner, with AFSA serving as a source of

constructive tension in labor-management discussions. We

will continue to advocate on issues such as employee ben-

efits, professionalism and ethics, and working conditions, but

will do so in a manner that emphasizes pre-decisional consul-

tation as the first path to achieving results.

Page 6: 2015 AFSA Candidate Statements

6 APRIL 2015 | SPECIAL ELECTION ISSUE

AFSA ELECTIONS 2015-2017

We don’t yet have all the answers. That’s why we plan to

engage heavily not only with management, but also with all of

you, reaching out to involve you in the solutions. We’ve heard

people say that AFSA isn’t relevant; many have left. We call

on those people to rejoin and help make our vision a reality.

AFSA has the money and the staff to do so—it just needs the

right leadership.

I’m asking you to vote not only for Barbara Stephenson

and me, but also for the other members of the Strong Diplo-

macy slate. Our slate has experience in multiple cones and

specialties, and is a mix of retirees, Senior Foreign Service

personnel, mid-level employees, and entry-level profession-

als. I am a strong proponent of work-life balance who has

served in Kuwait, Damascus, Algiers, Lahore, Islamabad, Lyon,

Sana’a, and Stockholm, with extended TDYs in Kabul and

Peshawar. I’ve been a Principal Officer and a DCM, and am

currently an Assessor with the Board of Examiners, giving me

a firsthand look at the impressive people who will form the

next generation of Foreign Service professionals. Let’s work

together to ensure that the Foreign Service is somewhere they

want to stay.

Kit Junge for State VPIn 15 years overseas as a manager, EEO counsellor, col-

league and member of embassy communities in both large

and small posts, I have helped my colleagues address difficul-

ties and obstacles faced at home and in the office. Whether

it is getting through the unwritten rules of assignment and

promotion, reducing the isolation one feels in hardship or

ISMA posts; trying to care for children or elder parents as a

single officer, or simply finding some balance between work

and a private life, an overseas career produces stress and

conflicts in financial and emotional realms for everyone. I

have worked within the framework of the existing rules and

regulations so I am aware of where a few changes could make

big differences in our lives. And I will listen to your concerns.

As a trained negotiator I have been very successful in mov-

ing the marker forward by finding agreement and insisting on

shared interests. Here are some of mine: Assignments should

be about what you know, not who you know. If elected, I will

fight for more objective criteria and greater fairness in assign-

ments and push for reforms in the performance appraisal

process. Training should advance careers, not hinder promo-

tions. I will work with management to find ways to provide

and recognize training that makes us more skilled profession-

als, better leaders, and better managers. I also believe that

AFSA needs to widen its focus in Congress. Having qualified

ambassadors is important. But getting promotions approved

is also important. Most important is ensuring that we are not

penalized for serving overseas. I will push for greater AFSA

advocacy at the state and local level and will urge Congress to

approve a Foreign Service Civil Relief Act to help FS members

address such issues of residency as in-state tuition and relief

from penalties when contracts must be cancelled due to

assignments. We need permanent enactment of an overseas

comparability pay, and, in an unsafe world, amendment of

the Foreign Service Act to allow partial disability retirement.

We must also bridge the gap between the current mandatory

retirement age and the minimum age for Social Security. We

need to advocate for rules or amendments to the FS Act that

provide better balance between work and a private life, to

include greater flexibility in home leave and R&R rules, more

comprehensive family and parental leave benefits, greater use

of telecommuting, and greater recognition of the fact that FS

households can include parents, siblings, children, and unmar-

ried partners of either sex.

My name is Kit Jungé and I want to be your advocate on

the diverse issues that impact your daily lives as general-

ists, specialists, tandems, families and singles while serving

overseas.

Sharon Wayne for USAID VPFor the last two years, I have served as the AFSA USAID

Vice President. During this time, it has become crystal clear

that AFSA plays an indispensable role in providing the neces-

sary checks and balances and professionalism that protect

and enhance our Foreign Service, both individually and collec-

tively. I remain strongly committed to ensuring that our pro-

fessionals are fully supported in recognition and appreciation

of their sacrifices and service. Foreign Service Officers have a

unique role with unique needs and concerns which, often not

properly understood, are easily ignored or discounted. AFSA

is a strong and necessary advocate for the Foreign Service

and it would be an honor to continue to serve you on its board.

We have come a long way these last two years in elevating

the inequalities in benefits among Foreign Service Agencies

and we are at a crucial point to keep the momentum going.

Major inequalities have existed for years and together we

have made great strides toward correcting these anomalies.

For example, thanks to the AFSA USAID member survey, a

Page 7: 2015 AFSA Candidate Statements

SPECIAL ELECTION ISSUE | APRIL 2015 7

AFSA ELECTIONS 2015-2017

robust working group has been formed for the first time to

resolve the inequalities in lodging options while in training.

Another area being focused on addresses member concerns

for spousal employment. USAID is looking at this issue from

many angles including more utilization of a hiring mechanism

that will allow EFMs at USAID non-competitive eligibility when

bidding on Government jobs. Although made up of separate

Agencies, we are the Foreign Service. In championing USAID’s

concerns, I intend to collaborate with AFSA at-large for the

betterment of us all. Pride in our unique mandates as well

as in our collective calling as Foreign Service Officers speaks

louder and stronger as a unified front. The current elected

officials have worked well across agencies in bringing this

message home and if elected I look forward to continued col-

laboration with the new board.

Jeffrey Cochrane and Jeri Dible (current USAID AFSA board

representatives) and I, along with AFSA staff, are working dili-

gently on your behalf. If elected, I plan to continue focusing

on areas dear to my heart, including equity of benefits among

foreign service agencies, transparency in personnel policy

development (e.g. upcoming performance management

revision), assignments and promotion, improving managerial

training, improving support to employees serving in CPCs,

work/ life balance issues, retiree concerns such as protect-

ing our pension, health care and other benefits, recognition

for service outside of one’s backstop or in Washington, and

improving the image of the Foreign Service. I am committed

to representing you and am proud of what we do.

Steve Morrison for FCS VPWith the help of others, AFSA has accomplished a great

deal these past two years: new Chief of Mission Guidelines;

increased funding for the Commercial Service; a new, revital-

ized WAE (Reemployed Annuitant) program; a new, former-CS

officer now Ambassador; and revised FCS language training

guidelines. Yet, there is more to be done and that is why I am

running for a second term.

The job of FCS Vice President is part advocate, part traffic

cop. We advocate strongly for member rights as contained

in our Collective Bargaining Agreement with the Commercial

Service but we also work to improve working conditions (help

secure new resources) and opportunities for advancement

(due process/level playing field). When we see something

wrong or headed down a dark or dangerous path (reorganiz-

ing overseas positions adversely impacting officers, say, in

Europe, for instance), we speak up and put a stop to it.

The next two years pose several interesting challenges and

opportunities. We will have a new AFSA Governing Board. The

Commerce IG’s 18-month report on ITA Consolidation will be

out by the time you read this. AFSA has weighed in on the

report and will continue to do so to make sure Consolidation

accomplishes its original, lofty goals of better serving ITA

customers, increasing operational effectiveness, enhanc-

ing management focus on new priorities, and improving ITA

employees’ connection with its mission. There is a new Con-

gress and new House and Senate Appropriations Committee

leadership to educate and inform regarding the critical work

of the Commercial Service. Finally, there is some unfinished

business coming out of the 2013 Consolidation agreement

with Management that I plan to work on and hope and expect

to complete this term.

Longer term, I look forward to working with you and CS

Management as we reimagine, re-engineer, and realign our

management structure as a result of Consolidation. There

is talk within the Administration of a possible doubling of

the Commercial Service which I hope to work on as your

employee representative. Finally, the one thing I promise to

fight strenuously against is a return to the “Good Old (Bad

Old) Days” of 228 Foreign Commercial Service officers (2008)

when many of us didn’t have money to hire, travel, train,

or entertain—key aspects of our job-the absence of which

“ties the hands” of our fellow officers, “hollows out” overseas

offices,” and depresses promotion opportunities as well as

U.S. exports.

Larry Cohen for Retiree VPIn July 2013 I became your constituency vice president. To

continue for two more years as your representative on AFSA’s

executive committee, I again seek your vote.

During my short tenure, AFSA sought to protect and, when

possible, enhance retiree benefits – and not just for those of

us already retired. For active duty contemplating retirement,

defined pension benefits remain a priority target of Congres-

sional cost cutting. In fighting for our colleagues still on active

duty, AFSA emphasizes the linkage between current and

future retirees and the unifying nature of the Foreign Service

over generations. In conjunction with other federal employee

associations, AFSA stands firm on the front lines to assure the

current, and the next, generation of Foreign Service retirees

are not blithely treated by congress or the administration as a

Page 8: 2015 AFSA Candidate Statements

8 APRIL 2015 | SPECIAL ELECTION ISSUE

AFSA ELECTIONS 2015-2017

cost-cutting piñata.

While acknowledging the success of the Career Transition

Center’s Job Search Program at FSI, I believe retirement plan-

ning ought to begin at career entry, not upon retirement. For

active duty, AFSA stresses early retirement preparation, such

as taking FSI’s Retirement Planning Seminar (RV 101) at the

first opportunity. AFSA also urges the promotion of retirement

preparation during the career orientation phase and through-

out one’s career.

For current retirees, life-altering decision-making does not

end. With my strong backing, AFSA helps members address

practical questions such as Medicare, FEGLI, clearances, and

reemployment rights. This year AFSA will roll out its web-

based on-line community, a service to members I whole-

heartedly support. Meanwhile, I receive messages directly

from retirees and will continue to be personally available to

members who have questions, grievances, or other issues to

address.

Many retirees return to work under the State Department’s

When Actually Employed (WAE) program. Unfortunately,

even with the new “centralized” registry, the bureau-run WAE

systems often do not fully or efficiently serve the needs of the

Department or annuitants seeking employment opportunities.

Many talented retirees get lost in the maze. I urge greater

transparency in the WAE system, especially creation of an

Internet accessible CV database maintained by HR.

Occasionally, AFSA members relate stories of disrespect-

ful treatment when they seek access to State Department

facilities. AFSA does not prejudge building access security

procedures and supports an appropriate security posture for

all facilities. But retirees deserve dignity and respect earned

through decades of loyal and meritorious service. Retirees

who maintain active clearances and possess “chipped” retiree

badges ought to be able, upon request, to have the chip acti-

vated. Foreign Service retirees should not be automatically

treated as security threats.

Thank you for allowing me to serve as your Retiree Vice

President. And allow me to thank you in advance for your vote

of confidence for another two-year term.

Tom Boyatt for Retiree VPAt a time in life when I should be concentrating on gardens

and grand-children, I feel compelled to return to the fray as

a candidate for Retiree VP. The Foreign Service (and AFSA)

faces an existential threat. The American Academy of Diplo-

macy agrees and in March will publish a Report exposing the

dangers and proposing recommendations to counter them.

In the Department political appointees multiply rapidly and

penetrate ever deeper into traditional working levels. There

are now some 57 Special envoys who, together with their

staffs, are virtually all political appointees.

Concurrently, the Management (M) side of State has

declared a “requirement” to “break-down” the Foreign Service

Act of 1980 by homogenizing the Foreign and Civil Services

(CS). To this end M and HR are converting ever more Foreign

Service positions to CS; expanding programs to convert Civil

Servants to Foreign Service Officers and Specialists and

creating programs to assign CS to overseas positions. Today

about 40% of country director/deputy/desk officer jobs in the

regional bureaus are filled by GS personnel. In the functional

bureaus the percentage is 80%. Compare that, colleagues, to

the numbers when you were on active duty.

In addition to the above mega-problem, there are several

perennial retiree issues which demand attention. Annuity

protection, maintenance of health benefits, building access,

timely payment of survivor benefits to Foreign Service widows

and widowers, and improvement of the WAE system all remain

on the docket and require creative attention.

AFSA faces enormous challenges. It is imperative that we

elect a Board composed of battle-hardened and experienced

members. Accordingly, I urge you to vote for Matthew Asada

as the next President. During four years on the Board and two

as State Vice President Matt has defended the FS against

management efforts to “break-down” the Congressionally

mandated independence of the Foreign Service and its merit

principles. He has shown the skill and courage that will be

vital over the next two years if efforts to restore the Foreign

Service are to be successful.

As for myself, I have had the pleasure of working with many

of you on foreign policy or AFSA issues. For those who do not

know me, I entered the Service as an FSO-8 and retired as a

Career Minister. I served in all of the “cones” and four of the

five regional bureaus of my era. Over the years AFSA mem-

bers elected me as President, Vice President, and Treasurer

(twice). I humbly ask you to give me one more chance to

serve at this critical juncture. I promise you an “all-in” fight for

an independent and merit-based Foreign Service.

Charles A. Ray for Retiree VP **Retirement from the Foreign Service should not mean our

Page 9: 2015 AFSA Candidate Statements

SPECIAL ELECTION ISSUE | APRIL 2015 9

AFSA ELECTIONS 2015-2017

connection with the service we served long and honorably

should end.

For 90 years AFSA has been the voice of the Foreign

Service, first as a professional association, and now as both

a professional association and a union. We who have retired

from active service can not only continue to benefit from both

of these roles, we have an integral role to play in ensuring that

AFSA continues to function on behalf of a professional Foreign

Service that plays an essential role in carrying out American

foreign policy at home and abroad.

As retirees, we can play a role in AFSA’s advocacy efforts on

behalf of all of our Foreign Service colleagues through com-

munication with Congress and the American public about the

need for a strong, professional American diplomatic service.

We also have an important role in supporting AFSA’s profes-

sional association activities, through public speaking and writ-

ing—for the Foreign Service Journal, blogs, and other media

outlets—and through our support of the important work of

AFSA committees, such as the Committee on the Foreign

Service Profession and Ethics (PEC).

Some of the key issues of interest to retirees that should

be addressed in 2015 and beyond:

-Preservation of retiree pension and benefits.

-Revision of facility access rules for retirees, including

activation of chip in retiree ID cards to facilitate entry to Main

State, SA-1, and FSI in particular.

-Establishment of more clarity in the WAE program, includ-

ing the following: require Bureaus to post requirements on

RNET and make them available in the HR Service Center so

that all retirees have access to them.

-More active solicitation of retirees, recent and older alike,

to join AFSA.

-A revitalized AFSA speakers program with a focus on retir-

ees located outside the DC area.

If I am elected VP for Retirees, these issues will be my

priorities during my tenure.

I am a member of the Future Forward AFSA Slate in this

year’s election.

Bio: I entered the Foreign Service in August 1982, after

serving 20 years in the U.S. Army. My assignments included

consular posts in Guangzhou and Shenyang, China; Admin

Officer, Chiang Mai, Thailand; Special Assistant, PM/Office

of Defense Trade Controls; DCM, Freetown, Sierra Leone;

Consul General, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam; Ambassador,

Phnom Penh, Cambodia; Diplomat-in-residence, University

of Houston; Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense, POW/

Missing Personnel Affairs; and Ambassador, Harare, Zimba-

bwe. I retired from the Foreign Service in September 2012,

and served as chair of AFSA’s Committee on Foreign Service

Profession and Ethics (PEC) until July 2014. I also chaired the

AFSA Chief of Mission Guidelines Working Group.

Phil G. Laidlaw for State Rep *I’ve had the privilege of serving my country as a Foreign

Service Officer for over 22 years. What we do matters, so it’s

important to make sure the Foreign Service is prepared for

the future. As part of the Strong Diplomacy Slate, my goal is

to make AFSA into a strong advocate for the men and women

of the Foreign Service, framing every decision, every engage-

ment with Department management, with one question: Does

it make the Foreign Service stronger? We’ll push for adminis-

trative and IT systems that enable—not hinder—our officers

in the field to advance the nation’s interests. We’ll work to

ensure assignments policies build the strong cadre of FSOs

needed to lead in coming decades. And we will put renewed

emphasis on the word service in FSO, expecting service in

hard jobs in tough places as part of a full career.

Phil Laidlaw is currently the director of WHA’s Policy Plan-

ning and Coordination office. Previously, he served as chargé

in Caracas, deputy director of WHA’s Andean Affairs office,

and graduated from the National War College in 2011 following

tours in San Salvador, La Paz, Madrid, Sarajevo, and Tirana. He

is a graduate of Wake Forest University and hails from Florida.

Margaret Hawthorne for State Rep *When I joined the Foreign Service, I thought “if I don’t like

it, I can always go back to my previous career.” Well, 23 years

later, I’m still here, because this is the most interesting, mean-

ingful, and rewarding work I’ve ever done. None of us joined

the Foreign Service to get rich or become famous. We joined

because we believed we could make a difference. And we do,

every day. I’m running for the AFSA Board because I believe

in Ambassador Stephenson’s vision for a renewed, revital-

ized and stronger Foreign Service to lead America’s foreign

policy. As a former DCM/Chargé, I know the importance of

good leadership and of ensuring that we are empowering our

people while recognizing the need for a strong work-life bal-

ance. My Strong Diplomacy slate colleagues and I will work to

help all of you realize the full potential of your careers.

Bio Note: Margaret “Nini” Hawthorne is the Director of

Page 10: 2015 AFSA Candidate Statements

10 APRIL 2015 | SPECIAL ELECTION ISSUE

AFSA ELECTIONS 2015-2017

Crisis Management Training at FSI. Previously, she was DCM/

Chargé in Belize, Political External chief in Moscow, Pearson

Fellow on the House Foreign Affairs Committee, and a 2011

graduate of the Industrial College of the Armed Forces. She

has also served in Santo Domingo, Madrid, USUN, and Wash-

ington.

Leah M. Pease for State Rep *Why am I running for AFSA? To be perfectly honest, the

thought had never crossed my mind until I was approached

by a respected colleague about the idea. After listening

to Ambassador Barbara Stephenson’s visionary ideas on

leadership, mentoring, and her plans to actively engage and

mobilize AFSA members to build a strong Foreign Service,

to lead America’s foreign policy, I decided to join her Strong

Diplomacy slate, so that I could make a positive impact on the

future of the FS.

I believe the Strong Diplomacy slate represents an oppor-

tunity to address some of the profound issues that threaten

the future of the FS and the Department. As a proud, mid-

level FSO who just spent three years as a PD instructor at FSI,

I heard too-often, many smart and talented mid- and entry-

level officers express in frustration, that despite their strong

desire to serve their country, they felt worn down by the

system and questioned their future in the Department.

Join us in our #StrongDiplomacy campaign as we seek to

address these core issues! We’re eager to hear from you as we

develop our platform. You can find us on Facebook at “Strong

Diplomacy – AFSA 2015”.

I joined the FS in 2001. I have served at USNATO, Belfast,

Caracas, and in Washington as the Eagleburger Fellow, a PD

instructor, and the UK/Ireland Desk Officer.

Josh Glazeroff for State Rep *As a member of the Strong Diplomacy slate, I am commit-

ted to strong leadership and clear vision. Our team is united

by a shared program and determined to make a real differ-

ence by making the most of AFSA, the voice of the Foreign

Service. If elected, we will be guided in our decisions by this

central test: “Does it make the Foreign Service stronger?” I

have 18 years of experience, much of it as a Consular officer.

Through my time in the Service, I have come to believe that

we can do more to be better leaders and managers. I have

seen improvements in how we think about both leadership

and management initiated by Consular personnel who cared

deeply about making positive change real. Through their

commitment, we have learned to do more to inspire, to com-

municate, to implement sustainably and plan strategically.

AFSA has a role to play in encouraging and coordinating such

efforts at a Departmental level. Such initiatives will make

AFSA members and the Department as a whole more resilient

and better prepared. Voting for the Strong Diplomacy slate is

a great opportunity to strengthen the Foreign Service in fact

and in reputation.

Doug Morrow for State RepMy name is Doug Morrow, and I am running to be your

State Department Representative on the AFSA Board. I joined

the Foreign Service in 2008 and immediately joined AFSA. I

believe that AFSA is a vital part of the State Department, and I

welcome the opportunity to help make it even more effective.

There are three areas where I believe we can improve.

First, we can do a better job reaching out to Post to see

what challenges they face, to be better advocates for all of our

employees, even those we don’t hear from every day.

Second, we should redouble efforts to catalogue and com-

municate the State Department’s successes to Capitol Hill to

increase funding when possible.

Last, as a proud GLIFAA member, I am excited to see the

positive changes in the Department under Secretaries Clinton

and Kerry, but we have more work to do for our transgender

employees. We could also do a better job of supporting single

parents, families with health concerns, specialists interested

in career advancement, and others.

I will ensure that the Department remains a welcoming

workplace for all, by speaking my mind, choosing battles

wisely, and working hard for those who need assistance. AFSA

is your advocate and ally in Washington, and I promise to

bring my energy and enthusiasm to the organization to serve

you better.

Peter Neisuler for State Rep *This past year, I have participated in writing the 2015 Qua-

drennial Diplomacy and Development Review (QDDR), where

I have placed particular emphasis on leadership development

and professionalization of the Foreign Service. Working with

Barbara Stephenson and supporting her efforts to transform

the Department’s leadership training, I got to see her passion

Page 11: 2015 AFSA Candidate Statements

SPECIAL ELECTION ISSUE | APRIL 2015 11

AFSA ELECTIONS 2015-2017

for strengthening this organization, which I know she will bring

to AFSA if elected.

I am an FS-02 political officer who has served in four cones

in two regional bureaus and the DGHR family as part of a

tandem. If given the chance to serve on the AFSA board, I will

focus on Barbara’s criterion: “Does it make the FS stronger?”

This will mean staunchly defending our members’ interests, as

AFSA always has. But it will also mean promoting policies that

bolster our work and support the health of our organization, a

shared goal of the entire FS, both management and rank-and-

file alike. Management is not “them”; it is “us” as well. We will

not always see eye-to-eye, but I believe we accomplish more

through seeking common ground than through an adversarial

relationship. With the publication of the Secretary’s Leader-

ship and Management Principles in 2014, and their elevation

in the QDDR, we have an unprecedented opportunity to link

individual leadership, leadership by the FS in foreign affairs,

and America’s continued leadership globally.

Eric Geelan for State Rep *I am running for the AFSA Board in support of Ambassador

Stephenson’s vision of AFSA as the vehicle through which our

members can actively engage in strengthening the Foreign

Service. The members of the Strong Diplomacy slate appreci-

ate AFSA’s many achievements over the years, but are united

in the belief that AFSA can and should be more. Through

AFSA, the voice of the Foreign Service, we can engage directly

on the issues that affect our future. We all work every day to

improve the lives of people around the world and tell the story

of our country, yet we have not fully mobilized our talents to

tell our own story to the American people and Congress; to

negotiate with management to find ways to improve work-life

balance; and to create mechanisms that promote mentorship

and collaboration among our members. Having served with

Ambassador Stephenson, I believe that she is just the person

to inspire and lead such a movement.

I am an 02 political-coned officer, and have been in the FS

for 12 years. I am currently serving in my first Washington tour

as Deputy Director of PM/ISO. Prior to that I served political

tours in London and Panama, was ACAO in Jerusalem, and

did a Con/Pol rotation in Caracas. I am married and have two

boys.

Dan Spokojny for State Rep **Most Foreign Service officers agree on what needs to

be done to make our institution stronger: better training,

smarter security, and access to the best technology. We also

need improved compensation and better support for Foreign

Service families in order to attract and retain the best talent.

The question is, how do we accomplish these objectives?

Here’s an idea: AFSA will spearhead an effort to improve

the Foreign Service’s image on Capitol Hill. Congressional

relations training should be encouraged for all officers, and

AFSA will work with the Department to improve communica-

tion channels between officers and Congress. We should

showcase the incredible talent, subject matter expertise, and

dedication of our officers. By improving our image on Capitol

Hill, we will strengthen our institution and restore diplomacy

to its rightful place as a tool of foreign policy.

This is work I have already begun as a current member of

the Governing Board. Drawing on my experience working in

Congress prior to joining the Department, I will continue to

make AFSA’s outreach to Capitol Hill my priority.

I am running as a member of the Future Forward AFSA

slate (www.futureforwardafsa.com) to build on the strong

record of accomplishment of this Governing Board and to

maintain AFSA as an independent, diverse, and innovative

voice for the Foreign Service.

Pat Kabra for State Rep **Running for the AFSA Board is a chance to make a differ-

ence. I want to work with all of you (FSO’s and Specialists) to

build an independent, diverse and innovative Foreign Service

for the future. As a senior FSO, I have benefitted from many

who have defended the integrity of the Foreign Service. I

have served as post AFSA representative, EEO counselor and

mentor. Now, I am running on the Future Forward AFSA slate

(www.futureforwardafsa.com) which is dedicated to support-

ing a professional, diverse and respected corps. I am proud to

join Matthew Asada and my fellow team members. We prom-

ise to represent your interests.

As a Public Diplomacy Officer, I served under challenging

circumstances at embassies in the Middle East: Cairo, Jeru-

salem, Damascus, Tunis and Doha. Our work has changed as

more officers serve “expeditionary” or unaccompanied tours.

Multiple evacuations and upheavals at posts have affected

families and staff. We need to work together on debates

regarding tours, training, work conditions and assignments.

Page 12: 2015 AFSA Candidate Statements

12 APRIL 2015 | SPECIAL ELECTION ISSUE

AFSA ELECTIONS 2015-2017

Currently, I am a Diplomatic Fellow at George Washington

University, teaching a new generation of potential officers. The

students are focused, talented and creative. But to keep them

interested in us – we need to have something of value to offer.

Please take a look at the Future Forward AFSA slate. Join

us by Voting. Let’s go!

Lawrence Casselle for State Rep *My name is Lawrence W. K. Casselle and I am running as

a candidate for State representative on the AFSA Governing

Board. As a member of Ambassador Barbara Stephenson’s

Strong Diplomacy slate, I am committed to “Building a Strong

Foreign Service to Lead America’s Foreign Policy!”

I have had the distinct pleasure to serve with outstanding

Diplomatic Security (DS) and Foreign Service Officers as a

DS Supervisory Special Agent for the past 12 years. I have

served in a variety of domestic and overseas assignments

including State Operations, Secretary Rice’s Protective Detail,

Abu Dhabi, Kabul and Belize. During these assignments, I

have learned that the Foreign Service is most influential and

effective when generalists and specialists of all cones and

specialties work together in a collaborative fashion toward the

common goal of making our service stronger.

As a DS law enforcement and security professional who

has served in challenging posts abroad, I understand the

delicate balance between securing our overseas posts while

allowing our colleagues to complete their missions. I also

firmly believe that DS and other specialties should be repre-

sented on this governing board.

If I am elected on the Strong Diplomacy slate, I will humbly

and faithfully represent all members of our diverse Foreign

Service family as we tirelessly work to build a stronger Foreign

Service.

Patricia “Tricia” Wingerter for State Rep *I am an Office Management Specialist with extensive

experience at over nine posts across three bureaus. During my

postings, I have served on numerous Employee Associations,

Post Employment Committees and EER review boards. I have

been a member of AFSA since joining the Department and,

through the years, have utilized the terrific AFSA resources. I

am running as one of the State Representatives and am espe-

cially honored to join Ambassador Barbara Stephenson on the

Strong Diplomacy slate. I know first-hand Ambassador Ste-

phenson’s ability to inspire greatness in those around her. The

Strong Diplomacy slates draws from across cones and special-

ties. As a State Representative, I would aim to bring a special-

ist perspective. AFSA is a solid organization, but with fresh,

inspiring, energetic leadership, I know AFSA can be a more

robust association and do so much more for all members. I

believe in the vision of a stronger Foreign Service—especially

for the next generation of Foreign Service professionals.

Bio Note: Tricia Wingerter is currently serving as Execu-

tive Assistant to the DCM in London. She will transfer at the

end of the summer to take up her duties as the FSI Logistical

Coordinator for the Ambassadorial Seminar in the Leadership

and Management School.

John Dinkelman for State Rep *I joined AFSA as a new hire in 1988 and have been the

grateful, albeit silent, beneficiary of AFSA membership ever

since. I promised that when given the chance, I would “pay

back” the organization. Now is that time.

So I ask for your vote, not because I more qualified than the

other candidates—either on the “Strong Diplomacy” slate or

otherwise. The truth is I am overwhelmed by the enthusiasm,

intelligence, and caliber of every one of them. I can only prom-

ise that I’ll do my best to build upon AFSA’s past successes.

Simply put: I care!

Bio Note: John (“Dink”) Dinkelman works in the Office of

Caribbean Affairs. He has served in Belgrade, London, Majuro,

The Hague, Ankara, Nogales, and Nassau. Dink also worked at

FSI from 2002 – 2007 on the A-100 training where he helped

trained over 2,700 FS ELOs—for which he was awarded the

2006 Arnold L. Raphel Memorial Award. An ‘army brat,’ Dink

was raised in many places—none of which he calls home. His

heart is tugged, however, toward Provo, Utah, where he barely

graduated from BYU. Although FSI maintains that he speaks

Spanish, Serbo-Croatian, Dutch, and Turkish, Dink knows bet-

ter than to claim proficiency in anything but English. Dink and

his wife Liz are the VERY tired parents of three children – ages

18, 16 and 10.

Erin O’Connor for State Rep *Six years into my Foreign Service career, and I have never

given much thought to AFSA. So why did I join Ambassador

Barbara Stephenson’s Strong Diplomacy slate? Because of

her vision for a stronger organization committed to mobiliz-

Page 13: 2015 AFSA Candidate Statements

SPECIAL ELECTION ISSUE | APRIL 2015 13

AFSA ELECTIONS 2015-2017

ing its talented members to strengthen the Foreign Service’s

institutions and reputation.

Growing up in a small Texas town, I know how lucky I am

to be a diplomat; we truly have the coolest jobs. The Foreign

Service is a calling for many, but it takes dedication and good

humor to persevere in this career—through the ups and downs,

and every place in between. I think I can speak for many of

my colleagues still relatively early in their careers when I say

that we need strong leadership and robust mentoring in order

to become State’s next generation of leaders. When we think

of AFSA, we should think of an organization that makes the

Foreign Service a stronger institution. When we think of AFSA,

we should think it is that type of organization. Under Ambas-

sador Stephenson’s leadership, I believe AFSA will help build a

stronger Foreign Service to lead America’s foreign policy.

Join us in our #StrongDiplomacy campaign. You can find

us on Facebook at “Strong Diplomacy -- AFSA 2015.”

Sam Theilman for State Rep *As a member of the Strong Diplomacy slate, I will work for

an AFSA that supports work-life balance and pushes family-

friendly policies. I will promote workforce retention by bring-

ing the importance of pay and promotion issues for specialists

to AFSA’s attention.

As a physician, I want AFSA to support a Foreign Service

healthcare system that responds creatively to the challenges

of the modern Foreign Service and that offers a variety of

options for care. Issues of quality and confidentiality should

be paramount. The Foreign Service Act of 1980 (http://www.

gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/STATUTE-94/pdf/STATUTE-94-Pg2071.

pdf#page=58) allows great latitude in arrangements for the

health care of the Foreign Service. AFSA should support a

health system that assures patients, providers, and Department

stakeholders of a reliable, flexible, and stable system of care.

I joined the Foreign Service in 1999, serving as the State

Department psychiatrist for Nairobi, Kenya and East Africa

during the aftermath of the 1998 bombings. I received a Pres-

idential Meritorious Service Award for my time as Director

of Mental Health Services in the mid-2000s. Recently, I have

done tours in Western Europe, where I supported returnees

from high-threat assignments and saw first-hand the effects

of good and bad leadership on the foreign affairs community.

I will work to make AFSA an organization that supports our

good leadership and helps us remove the bad.

Homeyra Mokhtarzada for State Rep **I am running as a member of the Future Forward AFSA slate

(www.futureforwardafsa.com) to build on the strong record

of accomplishment of this Governing Board and to maintain

AFSA as an independent, diverse, and innovative voice for the

Foreign Service.

I joined the AFSA Governing Board in 2014 because I am

deeply commitment to our profession and its future.

Strengthening our Post Representative program has been

one of my key initiatives. Post Representatives are our front

lines. AFSA and the Foreign Service benefit when we empower

them with tools and ideas to engage robustly with member-

ship and post management, proactively increase the visibility

and impact of AFSA, and advance AFSA’s strategic vision. In

recent months we’ve increased post coverage and are rolling

out great ideas that will lead to more visibility and member

involvement in AFSA’s work. To ensure great Post Representa-

tives get the recognition they deserve we have a new AFSA

Post Representative of the Year Award. Work-life issues are

also important to me and in October I helped bring together

experts, HR reps and AFSA members to discuss the challenges

of 24/7 emails. If elected, I will continue advancing these

initiatives.

As part of the Diplomacy 3.0 hiring surge, my cohort of

officers and specialists face unique career challenges and I’m

committed to representing our voices and priorities with the

Department.

Let’s go!

Ronnie S. Catipon for State RepMy name is Ronnie Catipon and I am a DS special agent.

I have served in the Foreign Service since July 1997. I am

seeking election as a State Department representative to the

2015-2017 AFSA Governing Board and I ask for your support.

I am currently a Governing Board member, appointed in

June 2014. Prior assignments include the Secretary’s Detail,

Manila, Tbilisi, Kyiv, Afghanistan, and The Hague. I am cur-

rently assigned to DS headquarters as the Regional Director

for Iraq and Afghanistan. For a majority of my FS career, I was

part of a tandem couple and prior to joining the FS, I was an

eligible family member in Almaty, my spouse’s first overseas

assignment. My spouse and I are the proud parents of four

wonderful children.

I bring a diverse set of experiences given my 18-year FS

career. I am a DS agent; served at traditional embassies and

Page 14: 2015 AFSA Candidate Statements

14 APRIL 2015 | SPECIAL ELECTION ISSUE

AFSA ELECTIONS 2015-2017

at a high threat post; and been an EFM, half of a tandem cou-

ple, and a parent raising FS children abroad. I believe I can

well represent my FS colleagues as a State Department AFSA

representative. I want to help make the State Department a

better place for us all as employees and members of the FS

community. Again, I ask for your vote of support. Thank you.

Steve McCain for State Rep **I’m honored to stand with Future Forward AFSA (www.

futureforwardafsa.com) as a candidate for State Represen-

tative. As a Foreign Service IMS with 15 years of overseas

experience, I am familiar with many of the unique challenges

we face.

I’ve served at a diverse mix of locations and jobs that have

given me a broad view of our organization. I’m currently

on my first domestic assignment, contributing an overseas

perspective to IRM’s Office of the Chief Architect. I strongly

support the Department’s strategic direction to increase

information security while, at the same time, adapting

quickly to changing technology. Our aim is to provide secure

and versatile tools targeted directly to the requirements of

diplomats and their staffs.

Throughout the years I engaged with AFSA and others

to address issues that concerned me such as Overseas

Comparability Pay, MSI fairness, airport security, and airline

seating standards. With fair compensation and a reasonable

work/life balance, we are better able to focus on our work to

advance diplomacy and make a difference in people’s lives.

I look forward to the opportunity to represent my col-

leagues and advocate on their behalf, and I’m excited to join

the energy of Future Forward AFSA. Let’s go!

Joel Wisner for State Rep **I am a 15 year member of the Foreign Service running

on the Future Forward AFSA slate for the position of State

Representative. Future Forward AFSA represent special-

ists and generalists who demand an independent, diverse,

innovative, and professional Foreign Service. Five overseas

and two domestic tours have convinced me that we are the

most dedicated workforce in the world. We are a workforce

that deserves the best technology, including smarter apps

and internet everywhere. We are a workforce that protects

the national security, including in cyberspace. We are best

represented by the Future Forward AFSA slate of candidates

for the AFSA Governing Board.

The Foreign Service principles of constructive dissent and

advocacy are enshrined in law in the Foreign Service Act of

1980. Though it takes people to turn principles into action

and to challenge Department management, respectful of our

traditions, but without equivocation. Whatever your cone, skill

code or background, you can count on me to fight for you and

your interests.

This is OUR Foreign Service and you’ll find no stronger

advocate for our cause. Together, we can build on recent

AFSA Governing Board progress to keep improving the

Foreign Service as an independent, diverse, innovative and

professional service today, and for the generations that follow.

Learn more about our dynamic slate at www.futureforward-

afsa.com. Let’s go!

Brynn Bennett for State Rep **I believe that our organization’s most valuable tool is

our employees—they are kept sharp by treating them with

respect, compensating fairly, providing opportunities for

professional growth and education, equipping them properly,

recognizing their sacrifices, giving them a voice, and includ-

ing their families. These are the values that I bring to public

service.

I began my career as a public servant in 2004 as a local

police officer. I pursued a law enforcement profession

because I believe it is important to protect those who can-

not protect themselves. In 2013, I had the privilege of joining

the Foreign Service family as a Diplomatic Security Special

Agent. I bring with me the same desire to protect and defend

others. As government employees, it is essential that we have

a strong voice to defend our personal interests so that we can

remain focused on our professional responsibilities.

Vote for me to represent you as a State Representative on

the AFSA Governing Board so I can defend your interests as

dedicated members of the Foreign Service. I am running as

a member of the Future Forward AFSA slate (www.futurefor-

wardafsa.com) to work with others who share my belief that

we should maintain AFSA as an independent, diverse, and

innovative voice for the Foreign Service. Let’s Go!

Neeru Lal for State Rep **AFSA is listening! It was not until I joined the AFSA Gov-

erning Board in the Summer of 2014 that I fully understood

Page 15: 2015 AFSA Candidate Statements

SPECIAL ELECTION ISSUE | APRIL 2015 15

AFSA ELECTIONS 2015-2017

AFSA’s value to our membership. As a State Representative,

I am committed to bringing forward the voice of our people.

Last fall I organized a well-attended, interactive webinar to

promote discussion between AFSA leadership and IRM spe-

cialists worldwide. We listened to IT workforce concerns and

AFSA leadership engaged with IRM management in support of

our unique issues.

In case you missed it, I am an Information Technology Man-

ager. I served 12 years overseas before returning to participate

in IRM’s Executive Development Program. I’m Indian-Amer-

ican and my husband and I raised our 2 kids (now adults)

overseas, in true Foreign Service lifestyle: from Ouagadougou

to New Delhi, Brussels, and finally, Rome. I’m currently serving

domestically in IRM’s Public Affairs and Communications unit.

I ask for your vote and trust as State Representative. I’m a

member of the Future Forward AFSA (www.futureforwardafsa.

com) slate and we are dedicated to maintaining an indepen-

dent, diverse, and innovative voice for the Foreign Service. We

are enthusiastic, motivated, and will serve you well. Let’s go!

Jeff Cochrane for USAID RepJeff is a strong believer in collective bargaining, and in

the professionalization of U.S. foreign assistance. A union

member since the mid-1980s, he believes that the Foreign

Service can raise its voice even more forcefully in the current

debate over foreign assistance reforms. Jeff has been with

USAID in one form or another for nearly 20 years—Peace

Corps Volunteer, researcher, and contractor on USAID-funded

projects, Civil Servant with both management and technical

bureaus, and (for nearly 10 years) Foreign Service Officer.

Jeff has directed economic growth offices in West Africa and

Iraq, was ICT Division Chief in the Office of Infrastructure, and

now serves as USAID desk officer for Bosnia, Serbia, Kosovo,

and non-presence Europe. He has a bachelors from Brown in

Rhode Island, and a doctorate in applied economics from the

University of Wisconsin-Madison, focusing on the economics

of institutions, applied to the study of what makes economic

systems grow or fail. Jeff’s husband is the TV critic with USA

Today.

William Kutson for FCS RepLast year I assumed the role of FCS Representative to

AFSA. I also had the honor and privilege to serve as FCS’

Scholarship Committee representative, and as a Merit Award

Judge, seeing first-hand the talents of the incredibly gifted

applicants. I have served overseas, in a U.S. Export Assistance

Center (USEAC), in a variety of roles in FCS Headquarters,

and am currently serving as a Brookings Legislative Fellow. I

believe that this experience, along with my AFSA experience,

has provided me with a unique perspective on FCS’s needs

and role vis-à-vis the Foreign Service as a whole.

I have had the good fortune of working alongside my

colleague FCS VP to AFSA Steve Morrison on a variety of

initiatives, both when we were posted in the Baltimore USEAC,

and on AFSA-related issues. Steve and I work extremely well

together, meeting and communicating regularly with each

other, FCS management and our fellow Commercial Officers.

While much has been accomplished, there is much more to

do including addressing the outcomes of our recent consoli-

dation. I respectfully request re-election to this position to

not only serve my FCS colleagues, but the entire U.S. Foreign

Service and the important work that it does. Thank you.

Dean J. Haas for Retiree Rep *I am running on the Strong Diplomacy slate because I

believe that Ambassador Barbara Stephenson will be an

outstanding AFSA President. I want to take part in imple-

menting her agenda to build a stronger Foreign Service to lead

America’s foreign policy. She is the leader we need at this

moment in our history.

Having retired as an FE-MC in 2011 at age 50, I remain con-

nected to the State Department as a WAE Training Consul-

tant and Leadership Coach at FSI. I currently work with new

senior FS and CS personnel, as well as first-time DCMs and

Principal Officers, in course work designed to prepare them

for the opportunities and challenges inherent in senior leader-

ship. I also serve as an instructor in the Fundamentals of

Supervision and Intermediate Leadership courses developing

State’s next generation of leaders. In addition, I am an execu-

tive coach on the Department’s Leadership Coaching team.

The Strong Diplomacy slate will strengthen the Foreign Ser-

vice, promote its importance as fundamental to US interests,

and advocate persuasively to advance FS interests across con-

stituencies. I will look to serve retiree members as a strong

voice for their interests and concerns. I am committed to

open and frequent communication with the retiree community.

Your vote for the entire Strong Diplomacy slate will allow

us to engage constructively at all levels to make the Foreign

Service stronger!

Page 16: 2015 AFSA Candidate Statements

16 APRIL 2015 | SPECIAL ELECTION ISSUE

AFSA ELECTIONS 2015-2017

Alphonse F. La Porta for Retiree Rep *I was State vice president and AFSA president in 1995-97

before my transfer to Mongolia as chief of mission. I have

served in Management and participated in several manage-

ment reform efforts. My purpose in standing for election as

Retiree Representative is to assist AFSA in restoring the role

of the Foreign Service in foreign affairs decision-making and

policy implementation, uplifting Foreign Service professional-

ism, and strengthening AFSA’s critical labor-management

role.

The record of the past twenty years clearly has shown that

Foreign Service leadership in the Department has declined,

our personnel strength is precipitously low, our skills base

has eroded, and professionalism has been compromised by

increased politicization. The identity of the Foreign Service, as

provided in the Foreign Service Act of 1980, is being disre-

garded and diminished through management actions, political

expediency, and favoritism.

A strong Foreign Service is required to meet the challenges

facing this and future generations, thus the special character

and role of the Foreign Service must be restored as provided

in law. I support the Strong Diplomacy slate, rebuilding the

integrity and professional capabilities of the Foreign Service,

and helping to create a unified and determined governing

board. A strong labor-management posture is needed to

advance the interests of active duty members and to ensure

that Foreign Service retirees receive equitable benefits, recog-

nition and respect.

Patricia Butenis for Retiree Rep *I discovered a new mission when I retired last year, after

34 years in the Foreign Service—telling my story, our story

to Americans who were unaware of what we do to promote

their interests and values overseas. My description of service

in Pakistan, El Salvador, Iraq, Colombia, India, and Poland

and as ambassador to Bangladesh and to Sri Lanka and

Maldives were a revelation to people. Our work overseas is

what defines us and increasingly, that service is in high threat

posts, where we continue to serve with distinction. The retiree

communities are uniquely positioned to be a major force for

outreach—to our home communities, so they know what

we do on their behalf, to elected officials, so they support

the Foreign Service, and to students, so they will follow in

our footsteps. Our retirees of course have concerns which

our Strong Diplomacy slate will consistently address and

advocate for, but retirees can also continue to contribute to

a Foreign Service that respects our experience and builds on

our accomplishments. I would work to draw on the incredible

resource that is the Foreign Service retiree community for our

own brand of strong public diplomacy.

John Limbert for Retiree Rep“Let no cheap shot go unanswered” was AFSA’s mantra

when I served as its president in 2003-05. It still should be.

As retirees who have served our country with honor we

need a Foreign Service that represents the best of our people

and our values. When a media pundit or a politician takes a

cheap shot at our colleagues, when a president selects obvi-

ously unqualified people as ambassadors, they attack us all by

denigrating the world’s proudest (if not oldest) profession.

For 34 years it was an honor for me to serve with Foreign

Service colleagues in places like Conakry, Tehran, Khartoum,

Baghdad, and Nouakchott. Whenever our service is dispar-

aged we need to answer with one voice: “Nonsense”.

I look forward to keeping AFSA the “active voice” of our

Foreign Service professionals—all of them.

John Limbert is Class of 1955 Professor of Middle Eastern

Studies at the U.S. Naval Academy. During a 34-year diplo-

matic career, he served mostly in the Middle East and Islamic

Africa (including two tours in Iraq) and was Ambassador to

the Islamic Republic of Mauritania. Before the 1979 Revolu-

tion he worked in Iran as a university and high school teacher,

and served at the U.S. Embassy in Tehran, where he was held

hostage in 1979-81. He was president of AFSA from 2003-05

and is currently chairperson of AFSA’s awards committee.