Associates of the American Foreign Service Worldwide

Awards

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Patricia Linderman Receives the 2015 Lesley Dorman Award

If you’ve been a member of AAFSW for any time at all, it is likely that you have come across Patricia Linderman, whether you’ve seen her name or met her in person. Patricia has played a huge role in many aspects of AAFSW over the years and it is our privilege to announce that she has won this year’s Lesley Dorman Award.

In 1993 AAFSW decided to honor Lesley Dorman for her accomplishments and untiring efforts on behalf of the Foreign Service community by creating the Lesley Dorman Award. The award recognizes an AAFSW member who has performed outstanding service in all aspects of the organization.

Over the years, in addition to her mobile work activities — including writing, translating, editing, and teaching German — Patricia Linderman has contributed to the organization in many ways, large and small. Notably, served as volunteer president of AAFSW from 2011 to 2014. Although she modestly reports that she was blessed with a terrific team during her time as president, Patricia herself has much to do with the success of many recent AAFSW achievements, as she played a large role in keeping everything organized and on track, among other things.

Patricia and her husband, consular officer Phillip Linderman, joined the Foreign Service in 1990, and they have enjoyed overseas postings in Port of Spain, Santiago, Havana, Leipzig, Guayaquil and currently Nuevo Laredo, where Phil is Consul General. They have two sons, now 20 and 23.

Although no longer serving as president, she is currently still involved several AAFSW projects, such as the Post Representatives Network. Her goal is to continue supporting AAFSW as a strong voice for spouses and partners and an organization that brings everyone in the Foreign Service together, in accordance with the tagline adopted under her watch, “Where the Foreign Service Becomes a Community.”

Congratulations Patricia and thank you for all of your hard work!

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AAFSW Interviews 2015 CCE-EFM Winner Stephanie C. Arnold


Stephanie Arnold: “A Firm Believer in the Value of EFM Employment”

 

Stephanie Arnold, former Human Resources Officer (HRO) and Financial Management Officer in Dublin, will receive AAFSW’s 2015 Champions of Career Enhancement for EFMs (CCE-EFM) Award on November 10. The award includes a cash stipend of $750. We interviewed Ms. Arnold by e-mail about her challenges and achievements.

AAFSW: What were some of the obstacles you faced in your efforts to promote EFM employment in Dublin?
Arnold: When I arrived, there were only a handful of EFM positions within the mission and no family members working on the local economy. Hiring managers expressed a preference for local nationals over EFMs because local employees had greater knowledge of the host country, operating environment and local contacts, and would provide much-needed continuity. Local applicants also often had more direct experience in a given field than EFMs. Outside the embassy, while a long-standing bilateral work agreement was in place, its implementation in Ireland was cumbersome and time-consuming. The requirement to have a job offer, paperwork and processing delays put family members of U.S. diplomats at a distinct disadvantage in the competitive local job market.

AAFSW: How did you overcome these barriers?
Arnold: A firm believer in the value of EFM employment, I advocated for it at every turn. Whenever an office expressed the need for a new position or to fill a vacant one, I considered whether it would be well-suited to an EFM and if we had EFMs at post with the desired skill set. When a hiring office told me they wanted to recruit externally or had a preference for a local hire, I tried to work with them to establish whether that was fully justified. We found that while some positions did require deep local knowledge and specialized skills, other positions in a section did not. We were able to agree upon positions that were ideal for EFM employment and targeted recruitment efforts accordingly. Also, whenever sections had short-term or part-time needs, EFMs provided a more flexible and cost-effective option in a high cost labor market with strict local labor laws. I identified opportunities for new positions that I knew had been beneficial EFM roles at other posts. And I was fortunate to be both the HRO and FMO in Dublin, which gave me a clear picture of post’s budget and staffing needs.

AAFSW: Who helped, and how?
Arnold: The three CLOs I worked with during my time in Dublin were all eager to help and were invaluable in identifying the skills different EFMs had and who was interested in what type of employment. I also enlisted the support of my HR staff and Management Officer, telling them I knew we could do better in this regard and that I wanted to make this a priority. The Management Officer proved to be a great ally, talking with his section head counterparts and promoting EFM candidates when vacancies arose, and supporting the creation of new EFM positions within the mission. He also recognized the shortcomings of our bilateral work agreement and the need to apply diplomatic pressure. He was the first to raise our concerns with the Department of Foreign Affairs and eventually took the critical step of asking Protocol and the Office of Foreign Missions to place a hold on the issuance of work permits to spouses of Irish diplomats in the U.S. until the Irish government acquiesced to our demand for reciprocal treatment.

AAFSW: What advice would you give people at other posts, and what other steps can be taken to promote EFM employment?
Arnold: It is essential to have one or more champions of EFM employment at a post in order to create ample opportunities. Without an advocate, I think the default behavior of both hiring managers and local HR offices is to hire locals to fill positions at post. Leadership interest and involvement in the creation of EFM employment opportunities at post is also critical. Post leadership needs to impress upon agencies and section heads the importance of hiring EFMs whenever possible. Management officials need to identify and create positions that are well-suited to EFM employment and utilize the recruitment preferences and hiring mechanisms available to limit certain opportunities to EFMs. Posts should also take full advantage of EPAP, Consular Associate and other professional track programs available to EFMs in addition to positions already available at post. And posts should examine the status of the bilateral work agreement and see if improvements in its implementation can be made or if a new bilateral work agreement needs to be pursued to make opportunities available for employment on the local economy. And I know efforts at the highest levels of the Department are already underway, but a solution to the EFM security clearance predicament has to be found. EFMs can easily spend half of their spouse’s assignment searching for a job and then waiting for a security clearance before they can work. The situation is even more dire for foreign-born spouses, who make up a significant proportion of the EFM population and frequently wait even longer for security clearances even when they’ve held one in the past. The Department must find a way to make EFM security clearances more streamlined and portable.

AAFSW: What achievement gives you the most satisfaction, and why?
Arnold: The most significant breakthrough was convincing the Irish government to grant blanket work permits to EFMs of American diplomats immediately upon arrival and accreditation in country, in the full spirit of reciprocity and as originally envisioned from the outset of the bilateral work agreement 17 years prior. While spouses of Irish diplomats in the U.S. enjoyed this from the start, the previously cumbersome and bureaucratic process on the Irish side kept most spouses of U.S. diplomats out of the local labor market.I was also thrilled to see EFM employment within the mission increase from four positions to thirteen by the end of my assignment. New positions designed for EFMs were created during my tenure (including an EPAP Economics Associate, an RSO Secretary and a Residential Security Coordinator) while other positions in sections across the mission that were well-suited to EFM employment were earmarked and filled by EFMs whenever possible. In the end, every EFM who wanted to work in Dublin had the opportunity, and that was the ultimate goal.

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2015 Eleanor Dodson Tragen Award Recipient: Sheila Switzer

While challenging, returning to the U.S. for an assignment for those born and raised here is an opportunity to spend more time with friends and family, to familiarize children with their home culture, and become reacquainted with the latest trends and styles.  For foreign born spouses, however, a domestic tour is not “coming home” since many of them have never lived in the U.S. before, may have limited knowledge of American cultural norms, and may experience difficulty using the English language. They arrive in a location with no CLO or GSO and no built-in network.  In short, coming to Washington is truly the toughest assignment of all.

Fortunately, they have Sheila Switzer.  She serves as a one-person welcome wagon and her warm
personality and enthusiasm always makes foreign born (and sometimes American) EFMs feel like part of the Foreign Service family. When Ms. Switzer recognized this need, she organized the AAFSW Foreign-Born Spouse group to direct family members to resources, create a support network, and help spouses get involved in volunteer activities. She also provides critical assistance when foreign born spouses are in distress.

Sheila Switzer is recognized as the very definition of the word “volunteer.” No matter what anyone asks of her, her first response is, “Of course!  How can I help?”  Through the positive impact she has had and continues to have on the lives of countless EFMs in need of support and assistance, Sheila Switzer embodies the values of Ele Tragen and is awarded the 2015 Eleanor Dodson Tragen Award for advocacy for and support of Foreign Service families.