afsa is approaching 16,000 members. the organization represents over 20,000 to employees at the department of state and agency for international development as well as the foreign agricultural service for foreign commercial service in the international broadcast. our foreign service making the distance for the united states and we honor them with this particular discussion. again, for more about apps under programs you may visit her website at afsa.org. afsa poconos programs and similar to the deeds we do public outreach event are sponsored by the fund for american diplomacy, which is our charitable or educational entity. we appreciate the support that goes in this room perhaps providing our listeners and viewers. few questions about questions about how to support, feel free to send me an e-mail at houston@ afsa.org. it is my pleasure to introduce the presiding officer and president of afsa, susan johnson. susan is a 31 year career diplomat and i appreciate being able to turn the podium over to her associate diplomat. t

afsa is approaching 16,000 dues-paying members. the organization represents over 28,000 active and retired foreign service employees of the department of state, united states agency for international development as well as the foreign agricultural service, foreign commercial service and the international broadcasting bureau. our foreign service is a patriotic group of talented professionals making a difference for the united states and the american people every day. and we honor them with this particular discussion. again, for more about afsa and our programs, you may visit our web site at afsa.org. book notice programs and -- book notes programs and outreach events are sponsored by afsa's fund for american diplomacy. we appreciate the support that those in this room perhaps are providing and also our listeners and viewers. if you have any questions about how to support the fund for american diplomacy, feel free to send me an e-mail at houston at afsa.org. finally, it's my pleasure to introduce the presiding officer and president o

afsa is approaching 16,000 members. the organization represents over 20,000 to employees at the department of state and agency for international development as well as the foreign agricultural service for foreign commercial service in the international broadcast. our >>r we honor them with thish particular discussion. for more about our programs you may visit our web site.a we book these programs and similar activities like that reach events are funded by aam the terrible organization. we appreciate the support of those in this room are providing also our listeners and viewers progress you have question about how to support us come until three to send me any mehl. finally it is my pleasure to introduce the presiding officer and president, a 31 c year and diplomats and i feel grateful to turn the podium over to her. thank you for being here. [applause]than and. >> thank you very much. many thanks to all of you and a warmyo welcome this morning. ian has told do quite a bit about the split we will come embassador whole --

you sort of addressed throughout your book and experience, by also it's central to the mission of afsa. we are we thinking how we can better be a better voice for the foreign services, and everything they do, and both this terms of mobilizing more of our members, active duty and retirees to be involved in it, but also rethinking our outreach program and how we do them and who we reach out to and on what terms, so we're embarking on this and building on a lot of work done in the past and collecting enormous amounts of information that we sense is already available in our member agencies, commerce, agriculture, states, you mentioned, sir, the lessons learned projects there, and i think there's a lot of information that we can just -- we can access this package and find ways to use it could really help us. i'm one who believes that it is possible to develop a constituency for diplomacy and development, but i have been told my, i think many very experienced practitioners of diplomacy that it's a hopeless task and it will not happen and there's no net drill constituency, and in the end it d