The Foreign Service Journal, January 2010

48 F O R E I G N S E R V I C E J O U R N A L / J A N U A R Y 2 0 1 0 O n Jan. 3, 2000, Ana Lopez came into AFSA headquarters for a two-month as- signment as administrative assistant. Ana had been told about the temporary job— to fill in for another employee on leave—byMembership Director Janet Hedrick, for whomAna’s mother used to babysit. Ten years later,Ana is still here. The other employee never returned, andAna found herself in a very different job setting than she was used to in her previous work for the Fairfax County school district. “The first year wasn’t easy,” admits Ana now. “I was somewhat tentative about this new expe- rience, but I also like a challenge.” Now Ana is a permanent fixture at AFSA, and hers is the first face staff and visitors see upon entering head- quarters. And it’s a face that is almost always smiling. “For 10 years Ana has provided AFSA visitors and phone callers with a friendly greeting and ex- cellent service,” says Hedrick. “She also serves as office manager for the AFSA headquarters build- ing and processes hundreds of payments each month without missing a step, a testa- ment to her warm professionalism and steady dedication.” In her decade at AFSA, Ana has seen quite a fewAFSA Governing Boards and staff members come and go. She remembers AFSA President John Limbert with particu- lar appreciation. “He would make a point of saying good morning to every one of us.” Ana attributes her longe- vity at AFSA to “the atmos- phere and the people.” And “the people” feel the same way about Ana. Executive Director Ian Houston lauds her flexibility and “willing- ness to take on projects at the drop of a hat.” Ana lives in Manassas, Va., with her 12-year-old son, Gerson. Although she doesn’t play golf herself,Ana frequently spends her week- ends taking Gerson golfing. Like her son, Ana is a pro- lific reader, and because she is bilingual, she often finds herself, as she explains, “reading a book in Spanish one day, and one in English the next.” Houston points to Ana’s “quiet, behind-the-scenes role that was invaluable during the renovation of our building.” But her soft-spoken demeanor hides a very well-kept secret: she loves to dance. Whether it’s just around the house or out on the town, wherever she is, Ana loves tomove to the music. All those who come into contact with Ana are warmed by her sunny disposition and agree with Houston when he calls her “a joy to work with.” ❏ A F S A N E W S MILESTONES: TEN YEARS AT AFSA Ana Lopez Executive Director Ian Houston lauds Ana’s flexibility and “willingness to take on projects at the drop of a hat.” FRANCESCA KELLY A Fond Farewell to Barbara Berger A FSA bids a very fond farewell to Special Awards and Outreach Coordinator Barbara Berger, who has been at AFSA for nine years. Bar- bara has been responsible for many of AFSA’s most important programs, in- cluding the annual awards, the memo- rial plaques and the board elections, among other tasks. An FS spouse for 25 years, Barbara has lived in Uganda, Ethiopia, Brazil, Israel and The Nether- lands, and has served as the Community Liaison Officer in Tel Aviv and The Hague. She is looking forward to spending as much time as possible with her two young granddaughters until the summer, when her son, Jonathan Berger, who is an FSO, will be posted toVilnius, Lithuania. We will miss Barbara, and we wish her all the best. ❏ Why not ask Ambassador Jeffrey Feltman, currentlyAssistant Secretary of State for Near Eastern Affairs, who won the Herter Award for Constructive Dis- sent by a Senior FSO in 2008? Ask Am- bassador Thomas Boyatt, who won the Rivkin Award in 1970 and the Herter Award in 1979 and is now, in retirement, president of the Foreign Affairs Coun- cil. Or Ryan Crocker, recipient of the Rivkin Award in 1985, who went on to become ambassador to Lebanon, Syria, Pakistan and Iraq — and was recently awarded the Presidential Medal of Free- dom. Take a look at the awards section of ourWeb site (www.afsa.org/awards ) for more names of past AFSA award-win- ners. You will see names that you recog- nize—and some that may surprise you. The nomination deadline of Feb. 26 is fast approaching. To nominate a col- league for the AFSA dissent (and per- formance) awards, or for more in- formation, please visit our Web site at the URL above. ❏ Dissent • Continued from page 37