2020 AAFSW ELECTION
AAFSW IS SEEKING VOLUNTEERS FOR:
AAFSW Executive Board Candidates for 2020-2022
as well as AAFSW Committee Chairs and Liaisons!
Add Your Voice, Have Fun, Get Experience, Help Others!
Are you in the Washington, DC area? Are you returning to DC this summer? AAFSW needs you!
AAFSW brings the Foreign Service community together: spouses/partners (including divorced and widowed), employees, and retirees. AAFSW is YOUR voice, advocating for Eligible Family Members as an independent organization. After 60 years since its inception on March 1, 1960, as an established non-profit with a solid foundation, AAFSW is in a strong position to make exciting things happen: lobbying on behalf of its members, providing information, resources, scholarships, awards, networks and amazing cultural and international events that EFMs as well as FSOs (active or retired) want and need. AAFSW is your CLO while you are in Washington, DC!
But, no surprise! All this great work happens only when you add your voice, share your ideas, and volunteer your energy! You can apply your skills and talents towards any position listed here!
For the upcoming Summer 2020 AAFSW Election, AAFSW established a Nominating Committee tasked with identifying worthy candidates for the various AAFSW Executive Board positions and Committee chairs. The 2020 Election Nominating Committee consists of Patty Ryan, Sheila Switzer, and Barbara Reioux.
If you already serve AAFSW as a Volunteer in any capacity (AAFSW thanks you very much!) and you would like to continue serving, please make sure to indicate your interest to AAFSW by sending an e-mail to office@aafsw.org from Friday, May 1, 2020 to Tuesday, June 30, 2020. As per the AAFSW Bylaws, which mandate a two-year term limit for all elected AAFSW Board positions and a maximum of a four-year term limit particularly for the elected position of the AAFSW President, AAFSW is currently seeking volunteer Executive Board candidates for 2020-2022 for the elected positions of: President, First and Second Vice President, Secretary, Treasurer and Assistant Treasurer. AAFSW is also seeking volunteer Chair candidates for all its Standing Committees (Voting Board Members): AAFSW Housing Office, Programs, Membership, Fun for Funds, Secretary of State Award (SOSA), Public Relations and Publicity, Scholarships, Art and Book Fair, Forum.
AAFSW is further seeking candidates for the following present Standing Committees (which recommend action to the Board): Finance, Foreign Born Spouse Group, Legislative Liaison, Crisis Support (evacuations, unaccompanied tours), Families in Transition (assistance for divorcing spouses and family crises), Children’s Playgroup, Liaisons to State, AFSA, FSYF, DACOR and Senior Living, French Conversation Group, Spouse Oral History, EFM Employment, the FSHub information website, and Post Coordinators’ Network.
AAFSW has a wide range of other volunteer positions available as well: Marketing, Podcast Coordinator, Art & BookFair Publicity, BookStore assistant, Art and BookFair assistant and many more.
Foreign Service family members are fascinating, diverse, talented—and a lot of fun to work with. As a volunteer, you will gain valuable skills and have unique experiences such as advocating for EFMs in meetings with high-level officials, participating in events at Main State and foreign embassies in DC, as well as being panelists to help judging the Secretary of State awards and youth scholarships.
If you’re overseas, we need your talents there as well! AAFSW wants to have Post Coordinators in all the US Embassies and Missions abroad!
Please, step up and help keep AAFSW a strong advocate and support organization for EFMs and the entire Foreign Service community. Or, nominate someone you know who would be a great candidate for any of the positions listed above!
Please, contact us by Tuesday, June 30, 2020 at office@aafsw.org to volunteer, find out more, indicate your interest for an elected Executive Board position or, let us know of your intent to continue serving in the capacity you already serve AAFSW.
Thank you all,
Joanna Athanasopoulos Owen, PhD
AAFSW President (2016-2020)
AAFSW Fun For Funds Fundraising Events Committee Chair