30 October 2011
The Professional Association of Foreign Service Officers (PAFSO) is pleased to announce the election of Mr. Timothy Edwards as President of the Association.
Mr. Edwards joined the political/economic stream of the Canadian Foreign Service in 2003. Since August 2010, he has served as Deputy Director of Corporate Affairs and Communications with the Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade Canada’s Major Programs Bureau. Immediately prior, he was program manager responsible for Canada’s relations with Taiwan, Mongolia, Hong Kong, and Macao. Mr. Edwards’s first overseas posting was as vice consul and head of public affairs at the Canadian consulate general in Hong Kong from 2006 to 2008. He also spent two years as desk officer for North Korea (participating in two delegations to that country) and one year as human rights officer and junior advisor with the Canadian Delegation to the UN Commission on Human Rights in Geneva.
Before joining the foreign service, Mr. Edwards worked at the Asia Pacific Foundation of Canada and the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation. He holds a BA (History & Political Science) from McGill University and completed a Master’s thesis in international relations at Toronto’s York University. Though he considers Ottawa his hometown, Mr. Edwards was born into a diplomatic family and was raised in several countries. He speaks English, French, and Mandarin and is married to CBC radio personality Amanda Putz. They have one son and are expecting a second child in 2012.
Mr. Edwards joined the Association’s Executive Committee in September 2008. He succeeds Pam Isfeld, who has served as President of PAFSO since October 2009.