Annual Report 2015 | American Foreign Service Association

BUILDING A FOREIGN SERVICE CONSTITUENCY

The association retooled one of its communications department

positions to focus exclusively on strategic outreach and

relationship building to help amplify AFSA’s voice to the American

public. Partners include universities and civic organizations ranging

from Kiwanis Clubs to World Affairs Councils, the business community,

and the

and

. In Novem-

ber, AFSA solidified a partnership with the Una Chapman Cox Founda-

tion, which will significantly augment AFSA’s multifaceted outreach

strategy to reach numerous target audiences in all 50 states in 2016.

SPEAKERS BUREAU: A FORCE MULTIPLIER

AFSA coordinated roughly four dozen programs through our

a speaker placement service that is free of charge

for anyone interested in hosting a member of the Foreign Service to

speak to their group. Thanks primarily to our retiree members, AFSA

doubled the size of the Speakers Bureau in 2015 to more than 360

volunteers who stand ready to share their experiences with American

audiences.

FOREIGN SERVICE BOOKS

AFSA’s imprint and book publishing division, Foreign Service Books, is

also instrumental in the association’s efforts to reach outside audienc-

military institutions and universities for courses, and to those

considering a Foreign Service career.

In 2015, AFSA sold about 3,000 copies of the current (third) edition.