F OCUS - American Foreign Service Association

A F
S A
N E
W S
Awards • Continued from page 59
ment. (Look for the interview with Amb.
Boyatt on p. 13 of this issue. Profiles of all
other award winner begin on p. 63.)
AFSA gratefully appreciates the efforts
of all those who sent in nominations and
hope that posts will also recognize their
nominees’ outstanding accomplishments.
AFSA also thanks all those who served on
panels this year.
The association places great importance
on these awards, which are unique in the
U.S. government. AFSA would like to
acknowledge Director General Harry
Thomas for co-sponsoring this year’s
awards ceremony. Congratulations to all
winners and runners-up.
Constructive Dissent Awards
There are four AFSA awards for intellectual
courage, initiative and integrity in
the context of constructive dissent that are
presented annually to Foreign Service
employees who demonstrate the courage
to speak out and challenge the system. Each
winner receives a certificate of recognition
and a monetary prize of $2,500. The AFSA
Awards and Plaques Committee selects the
CLASSIFIEDS
72 FOREIGN SERVICE JOURNAL/JULY-AUGUST 2008
Harris, Harriman and Herter Dissent
Award winners. The Rivkin Award winner
was selected by the children of the late
Ambassador William Rivkin: Julia Wheeler,
Laura Ledford, Charles Rivkin and Robert
Rivkin. This year’s winners are:
LUKE V. ZAHNER, U.S. Embassy Dhaka,
winner of the W. Averell Harriman Award
for an entry-level Foreign Service officer.
RACHEL I. SCHNELLER, economic/commercial
officer in the Bureau of Economic,
Energy and Business Affairs, winner of the
William R. Rivkin Award for a mid-level
Foreign Service officer.
AMBASSADOR JEFFREY FELTMAN, former
U.S. ambassador to Lebanon and current
principal deputy assistant secretary of
State for Near Eastern Affairs, winner of the
Christian A. Herter Award for a senior
Foreign Service officer.
The Tex Harris Award for a Foreign
Service specialist was not awarded this year.
Outstanding Performance Awards
These awards recognize exemplary
performance and extraordinary contributions
to professionalism, morale and effectiveness.
Each winner receives a certificate
of recognition and $2,500. The 2008 winners
and runners-up are:
VICTOR WILLIAMS, Embassy Pretoria,
winner of the Avis Bohlen Award, presented
to a Foreign Service family member whose
relations with the American and foreign
communities at a Foreign Service post have
done the most to advance American interests.
The runner-up is Ellen Brager-
Michiels, Embassy Santo Domingo.
VIRGINIA GREGORY, Embassy Caracas,
winner of the Delavan Award, which recognizes
extraordinary contributions to
effectiveness, professionalism and morale
by an Office Management Specialist. The
runner-up is Tanya Bodde, Embassy
Islamabad.
CRAIG GERARD, Embassy Cairo, winner
of the M. Juanita Guess Award for outstanding
service as a community liaison officer.
Runners-up were co-CLOs Lily
Hightower and Lesya Cely of Embassy
Addis Ababa.
JULIE A. EADEH, Embassy Baghdad, was
selected for a special award for AFSA Post
Representative of the Year. This award
comes with a framed certificate and a cash
award of $1,000. ❏