I would be pleased to serve the GLIFAA membership for a second year as the Policy Director.  I have previously served as Vice President for Partnership and Policy (2000-2002) and Director of Policy and Family Issues (2007 to 2008) and continue to serve as GLIFAA's Representative to the USAID Executive Diversity Council since 2004.  The work of GLIFAA has been my heart and soul for the past nine years.  In 2004, I said I would not convert into the Foreign Service until I saw a tangible change in benefits for partners; I stand by that conviction and look forward to seeing the fruits of GLIFAA's labor over the past 17 years.  My work over this past year has been impact-oriented.  
 
As Policy Director, in the past year I was the lead drafter on the GLIFAA-AFSA letter to the Hill supporting the principles of the 110th Congress Domestic Partner and Obligations Act as well as the transition paper that was presented to the State Agency Review Team.  And, I led the presentation to the USAID ART.  I have created a Transition Team and Policy Team that has included the GLIFAA President J. Michelle Schohn, Post Representative Coordinator Selim Ariturk, the Visa and Legal Team (Bob Gilchrist and Fred Boll), and the Legislative Team (Aaron Schubert and Ralan Hill) and active GLIFAA members (Ken Kero).  I've advocated for inclusion of gender identity and gender expression in GLIFAA's by-laws and in all of our talking points and letters so that GLIFAA is on par with the larger lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) movement.  I've successfully obtained USAID approval to attend the 2008 Creating Change Conference and the 2008 Out and Equal Annual Workplace Summit and have been encouraging the DG, M, and GLIFAA membership to participate in these activities as part of their career development and commitment to state of the art human resource knowledge.  I have actively reached out to people of color in GLIFAA as well as straight ally people of color at USAID via the USAID Executive Diversity Council.  I now co-train (with the USAID Counselor, who is the Acting Deputy Administrator) USAID's new Foreign Service Officers in diversity and LGBT issues.  I've supported GLIFAA members' efforts in trying to establish a new USAID employee resource group (ERG) for all single and separated parents.  Based on members' needs, I have also launched new initiatives such as a Civil Service Working Group and an LGBT Families Working Group that I hope to see move ahead during the next year.  I've also been asked repeatedly to support foreign affairs employees and other federal employees to provide technical assistance in capacity building or networking for their LGBT ERGs - whether at Commerce, HHS/CDC, SEC, Peace Corps, Pension Benefits Guarantee Corporation, NASA, or others.  I've also been working with other LGBT movement leaders such as Insiders Out and Human Rights Campaign's local National Capitol Area Steering Committee where I have raised GLIFAA's concerns, for example via HRC's Lobby Day.  And I continue to coordinate with other movement organizations such as Immigration Equality and the Council for Global Equality.  Along with our Executive Officer Kerri Hannan I have worked assiduously in mentoring LGBT staff, PMF Finalists, and potential employees of Foreign Affairs Agencies.  I've also been the architect of GLIFAA's firsts, perhaps government wide, such as issuing USAID's National Coming Out Day Notice in 2008, and a draft Pride Proclamation for Secretary Clinton to consider issuing this June.  I thank you for your support and look forward to continuing to serve you. 

 I shall be pleased to continue as GLIFAA's Treasurer.  In the past year I have handled GLIFAA's financial matters, including its relations with PayPal, and have in consequence been one of GLIFAA's contacts with the law firm of Sidley Austin, which is helping us gain formal tax-exempt status and regain PayPal's good graces.  If we succeed in our efforts, the post of Treasurer will expand to include many more formal bookkeeping tasks.  I am prepared to undertake the challenge.

GLIFAA members, despite my employment with the Defense Department, I continue to enjoy serving as your Public Affairs Director.  I have implemented this newsletter and continue to desire your feedback about its use.  Furthermore, I continually lead our efforts to communicate via press releases and specific media inquires.

I hope to focus this year on creating better public campaigns for our causes as I am able to move from getting our newsletters in place to focusing on the broader community that needs to hear our message.  Thankfully, I will have more time to focus on public affairs and public information campaigs as GLIFAA creates a new specific position for social and outreach affairs (Outreach Director).  I look forward to working with David Tessler who will take on the these projects previously assigned to my position.

My name is Selim Ariturk and I'm a second-tour FSO with the State Department, posted to Baku, Azerbaijan.  The GLIFAA board asked me to join them mid-way through the year, and I'm glad I did.  After we sent our landmark letter to Secretary Clinton, we found a great number of GLIFAA members and friends worldwide who wanted to serve as Post Representatives.  Over the past year, I have coordinated and grown an all-new network of GLIFAA Post Reps, and I'm proud to say that today we have 57 post reps all over the world - everywhere from Accra to Warsaw.  It's been a great way to get folks overseas involved in GLIFAA, and a great way for us to help people going overseas get more information about their next post.  In the next year, I hope to see our Post Rep network grow even more.  I hope you'll help me do that by re-electing me as the Post Representative Coordinator, and I also hope many of you will consider volunteering to join our network.

I would be honored to serve at the outreach coordinator for GLIFAA.  As the organizer of the first GLIFAA Pink Party, I have experience coordinating GLFAA social events and I am excited about the chance to make GLIFAA's social side even more fabulous with new Pink Parties, monthly happy hours, mixers with other LGBT groups around Washington, and other events.
 
GLIFAA is doing such great work on the policy front - fighting for the equality and fairness that LGBT employees and their families deserve.  But GLIFAA at its core should be a community - where members can meet new people, catch up with old friends, and celebrate!