Welcome. My name is Daniel Hirsch and, as the State Vice President for AFSA, I would like to welcome you to the State constituency web page. Here, you can find useful links and resources of interest to active duty State Foreign Service members, and also contact me and/or your AFSA State representatives. This page will change over time, evolving to fit your needs.

Carleton Bulkin
A Foreign Service Officer since 1998 and formerly a Fascell Fellow, Carleton Bulkin is a political officer who has served in Prague, Havana, Moscow, Budapest, and Kabul. He is currently the Deputy Director for NATO Operations in EUR/RPM. He was an AFSA representative in Moscow and Budapest.

Ako Cromwell
Ako is a DS Special Agent who joined the Foreign Service in 2004. He has been posted to the Miami Field Office and the protective details of Secretaries Rice and Clinton, which has taken him on numerous travel assignments. Prior to his diplomatic career, Ako spent twelve years in law enforcement.

Mary Glantz
Mary is serving as a political officer in EUR Russian Affairs following tours in Jerusalem and Baku.

Mike Haughey
An FSO since 2002, Mike is a Security Engineering Officer. He is currently a Section Chief in the Overseas Support Branch of DS. His previous posts include Moscow and Yaounde, Cameroon. Before joining the Foreign Service, he worked at Texas A&M University.

Les Hickman
Les's 27-year Consular career has included India, Saudi Arabia, Egypt and Jordan as well as interfunctional positions in the Department. A Crisis Management trainer, he helped evacuate 1400 Americans from Saudi Arabia during Operation Desert Storm. An AFSA member since 1982, he has served as Post Representative.

Bruce Matthews
Bruce is a Security Engineering Officer with 23 years of experience in the Foreign Service. His various assignments have taken him to England, Russia, and Greece in addition to numerous Stateside postings. He is currently in charge of the Quality and Liaison Section of DS Security Technology.

Ray Maxwell
Raymond Maxwell, who draws on a U.S. Navy background, became a Foreign Service management officer in 1992. He is the director of the Office of Regional Affairs in the Near Eastern Bureau, but has also served as deputy chief of mission and chargé d’affaires in Damascus and post management officer for East Africa, his all-time favorite job.

Joyce Namde
A Consular Officer by cone, Joyce Namde has served as post representative in two locations and on the AFSA Board from 2005-2007. Her overseas tours include London, Lagos, Manila, Ciudad Juarez and currently as Narcotics Affairs Director in Port au Prince. In Washington she served in OES and IO.

Lynn Nelson
Lynn currently serves in a double capacity as OMS and HR Assignment Technician in HR/EX/ASU, where she generates travel orders. Her previous assignments include Singapore and the EAP bureau, in addition to accompanying her FSO husband Paul in Kuala Lumpur, Beijing, and Mexico City.

Sharon N. White
A Foreign Service Officer since 1983, Sharon White has served as DCM in Tashkent, DPO in Ho Chi Minh City, and in POL, PD and Consular positions in Washington, Abidjan, Vienna, Brussels, Paris and Mexico City.

Is there a Foreign Service related topic that interests or concerns you? There are several ways you can voice your concern:

1. You can write to me directly at HirschDM@state.gov or call me at 202-647-8160.
2. You can write to one of your ten elected State representatives, whose information is provided below.
3. You can join a State advisory committee, and advise us as we move forward on the issues that matter to you. You can contribute by e-mail and do not have to be in Washington to participate.
4. You can join the State standing committee and meet with me in Washington on a regular basis.
5. You can leave an anonymous comment in the comments section of this page.
6. Get in touch with your AFSA Post Representative.

• October 6, 2010: 2010 Promotion Lists
• May 18, 2010: Core Precepts
• May 4, 2010: Results of AFSA's Annual Survey of State Constituents: Overall Results, Generalists Only, All Specialists, All Diplomatic Security Results, All DS Special Agents, All DS Non-Special Agents, All OMS, All IM
• May 3, 2010: ePerformance Reference Guide

• Good Supervision Leads to a Good EER Season (April 2011)
• A Year of Accomplishments/Annual Report Message (March 2011)
• Protecting Your Rights While Maintaining High Standards (January 2011)
• Valuing Abilities, Despite Disabilities (December 2010)
• Honey, I'm Home! (And Would Rather Be Working) (November 2010)
• Home Is Where the Heart Is (October 2010)
• FS Members: Good Beyond the Expiration Date? (September 2010)
• ePerformance: A Great Idea Whose Time Has Not Yet Come (July-August 2010)
• Wait a Second! They Have a Band? (June 2010)
• State Annual Survey Results (May 2010))
• Own Your Future (April 2010)
• 2009 AFSA Annual Report Message (March 2010)
• Clearance Adjudication: Arbitrary? Without a Doubt! (January 2010)
• Pride and Prejudice (December 2009)
• An Ounce of Prevention (November 2009)
• Filling in the Blanks (October 2009)
• Toward a More Perfect Union (September 2009)

• Information for AFSA Post Representatives
• Information on Political Activity by Federal Employees (Hatch Act)
• Dissent Channel Messages
• Contact Your Senator
• Contact Your Congressman
• FSI Distance Learning for Employees and EFMs

• AFSAnet: January 16, 2010
• AFSAnet: December 3, 2009
• AFSAnet: October 15, 2009
• AFSAnet: September 16, 2009

Sign up for AFSANET to monitor developments. Members with specific questions or grievance issues should contact the appropriate AFSA staff member, or myself at HirschDM@state.gov.

For more information on AFSA membership, please contact member services at member@afsa.org.