John Dinkelman, AFSA President

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Welcome to the AFSA President’s page! John Dinkelman serves as the association's president during the 2025-2027 Governing Board's term.

John Dinkelman assumed his duties as president of the American Foreign Service Association (AFSA) on July 15, 2025, after a distinguished 37-year career with the U.S. Department of State. At the time of his election as AFSA president, he was serving as diplomat-in-residence at Howard University. He retired from federal service on November 1, 2025.

Throughout his career, Mr. Dinkelman held numerous leadership roles, including acting assistant secretary for administration; deputy assistant secretary for logistics management; chief of staff in the Bureau of Administration; and regional executive director for the Bureau of Western Hemisphere Affairs. He also served as director of the Office of Caribbean Affairs in the Bureau of Western Hemisphere Affairs.

His overseas assignments included service as chargé d’affaires at U.S. Embassy Nassau, the Bahamas, and as principal officer at U.S. Consulate Nogales, Mexico.

An “Army brat,” Mr. Dinkelman grew up in various locations around the world. He has a deep connection to Provo, Utah, where he earned his degree from Brigham Young University.

He and his wife, Elizabeth—a professor of mathematics—are the parents of three adult children.

He can be reached at dinkelman@afsa.org.

 

Columns from The Foreign Service Journal