The Foreign Service Journal, July-August 2009

T he American Foreign Service Association is pleased to announce the winners of the 2009 AFSA Constructive Dissent Awards and Out- standingPerformanceAwards. The awards ceremony was held on June 18 in the Benjamin FranklinDiplomatic Reception Room at the Department of State. Each awardwinner receiveda certificateof recog- nition and a prize of $2,500. The AFSA Awards and Plaques Committee selects the Tex Harris, W. Averell Harriman andChristianA. Herter ConstructiveDissent Awardwinners. The committee alsonominates the recipient of the annual Lifetime Contributions to DiplomacyAward, who is ultimately cho- sen by the AFSA Governing Board. The RivkinAwardwinner is selectedby the fam- ilyof the lateAmbassadorWilliamR.Rivkin andotherprominent individuals connected to the Rivkin family. The winners of the three awards for outstanding performance are chosenby separate panels of judges. In addition, theGoverningBoard chooses the post representative of the year. Lifetime Contributions to American Diplomacy Award Former Senator SamNunnof Georgia was selected for the 2009 AFSAAward for Lifetime Contributions to American Diplomacy. Sen.Nunn is currently co-chairmanand chief executive officer of the Nuclear Threat Initiative, a charitable organization working to reduce the global threats from nuclear, biological and chemical weapons. He served as a United States senator rep- resentingGeorgia for 24 years (1973-1997). Sen. Nunn attendedGeorgiaTech, Emory University and Emory Law School, from which he graduated with honors in 1962. CONSTRUCTIVE DISSENT AND OUTSTANDING PERFORMANCE HONORED 2009 AFSA Award Winners Announced BY ASGEIR SIGFUSSON J U L Y - A UGU S T 2 0 0 9 / F OR E I GN S E R V I C E J OU R N A L 47 S ecretary of Commerce Gary Locke met with AFSA President John Naland, AFSA FCS Vice President Keith Curtis, AFSA FCS Representative Rebecca Balogh and AFSA Executive Director IanHouston onMay 11. This is the first time in AFSA’s history that a Commerce Secretaryhasmet officiallywith AFSAleadership. Inthemeeting, Sec. Locke noted the important work that members of the Foreign Commercial Service carry out as his representatives in some 80 coun- tries — not just as leaders in export pro- motion and support ofU.S. trade, but also as the senior overseas representatives of the Department ofCommerceon the full range of diplomatic issues. Calling FCS a group of “extraordinary professionals,”Sec. Lockeacknowledged the need for additional funding andpersonnel in the years to come, and recognized the importance of “smart power.” He also praised the key role AFSA plays, both in supportinghis priorities and inpromoting economic prosperity in a time when Americaneeds jobs. However, theSecretary made clear that he could not push for resources beyond those that President Obamahas already identified intheFY2010 budget request. FCS VP Curtis reports, “We were pleased that he gave us time to express our views andconcerns, is sincerely supportive of what we do, and sought to have a continuing relationshipwithus.” ❏ HISTORIC “FIRST” FOR AFSA Commerce Secretary Meets AFSA Leaders Continued on page 57 Continued on page 58 American Foreign Service Association • July-August 2009 AFSA NEWS AFSA Election Update Please check the AFSA Web site at www.afsa.org for the latest election re- sults and/or updates. More informa- tionabout theelectionwill bepublished in the September issue of AFSANews. SEC. RICE’S TENURE EVALUATED New Foreign Affairs Council Report Released BY ASGEIR SIGFUSSON T he biennial report of the Foreign Affairs Council assessing leadership andmanagement at theDepartment of State was released on May 14. FAC President Ambassador ThomasD. Boyatt presided over a press conference at AFSA headquarters to present the report’s find- ings. Representatives fromCNNcovered the briefing, a portion of which was later airedon the network’s international news. In assessing the last two years of Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice’s