In accordance with Section 8 (g) of the Constitution of the Professional Association of Foreign Service Officers, as only a single nomination has been received, the nominations for the office of President are extended by seven (7) days until March 11, 2025.
Interested candidates must submit a statement outlining their qualifications and intentions and provide the endorsement of ten (10) regular PAFSO members in good standing via the following nomination form. Nomination forms must be returned to the PAFSO office by mail (Nominations, PAFSO, 412 – 47 Clarence Street, Ottawa, ON K1N 9K1) or electronically (info@pafso-apase.com) before 23:59 EDT Tuesday, March 11, 2025.
As mentioned above, a single nomination was put forward for Pamela Isfeld. Ms. Isfeld’s submitted nomination, supported by ten (10) members in good standing, lists her qualifications and intentions as follows:
My time as your president, along with six hardship assignments and two decades of management and leadership, give me the experience, qualifications, networks, and empathy to promote and protect your interests in challenging times.
Under my leadership, PAFSO members have seen positive developments including:
- Two consecutive “living” CBAs, with the strongest possible economic increases and important provisions specific to the Foreign Service, including a health and safety clause that protected you during the pandemic and beyond;
- The continuation of strong, transparent guiding vision through two Strategic Plans;
- Strong governance through management and ExCom accountability, modern financial and fiduciary practices, increased outreach to members, etc.;
- Strategic advocacy and visibility with stakeholders and the public through the establishment of an Advocacy and Stakeholder Relations program, the revamp of bout de papier, and our PAFSO 60 activities;
- A comprehensive re-think of the FSDs that captured lessons learned during the pandemic to serve the evolving needs and diversity of today’s Foreign Service Officers and their families.
These accomplishments have given us a strong foundation as we navigate political and economic uncertainty on an unprecedented scale. If re-elected, my focus will be job and career security for PAFSO members through increased advocacy and education about your importance to Canada and Canadians at home and abroad. Your continued concerns about economic well-being and the erosion of support for members abroad will be my priorities in the next CBA negotiations, which will begin in 2026.
I have worked hard to ensure that PAFSO is well-positioned to meet the FS community’s challenges. However, strategic, experienced, visionary leadership will continue to be essential to getting you the respect and recognition you deserve in turbulent times. You can count on me to continue to promote and protect your interests.
Over the course of the next seven (7) days, the Nominations and Elections Committee shall conduct outreach activities among the membership in order to identify additional candidates. Should no other candidate come forward during this period, the current single nominee shall be acclaimed to the office of President.
PAFSO NOMINATIONS AND ELECTIONS COMMITTEE
March 5, 2025