The Foreign Service Journal, April 2010

A P R I L 2 0 1 0 / F O R E I G N S E R V I C E J O U R N A L 55 O n Dec. 8, the Associates of the American Foreign Service Worldwide held their annual awards cere- mony, which includes the Sec- retary of State Award for Out- standing Volunteerism Abroad. This award recognizes out- standing volunteer service per- formed overseas by employees, familymembers, domestic part- ners and members of house- hold in the following areas: remarkable service to the Amer- ican community; outstanding activities directed toward the host country; and exceptional service in emergencies. This year, Secretary of State Hillary RodhamClinton was present to bestow awards on six individuals. ErinP. Sweeney , a consular officer in Lagos who helped establish the Con- sulate Community Program, recruited both American and Nigerian staff to keep the program sustainable. The group has assisted the Pacelli School for the Blind, the Ife Oluwa Maternity Clinic and the NigerianAnti-Trafficking in Persons Shelter. JanMarie Flattum-Riemers , the re- gional medical officer in Jakarta, pro- vided medical services at the Baktir Luhur Orphanage and established an embassy recycling program offering employment opportunities for the mentally disadvantaged adults of the or- phanage. She also trained Indonesian caseworkers to help treat neglected chil- dren in scavenger communities. FamilyMember Lara L.Center , who holds a master’s degree in museum studies, launched a strategic plan for Luxembourg’s National Military His- toryMuseum, expanding outreach, cre- ating a mobile museum service, men- toring university interns, upgrading the museumWeb page and liaising with the U.S. National WorldWar II Museum in New Orleans. Joseph A. Taylor is an FSO in Bagh- dad who teaches popular adult swim- ming classes. Class participants include combat military troops, translators and senior Foreign Service officers, as well as women from Ethiopia, the Palestinian territories and Iraq — countries where physical activity for females is highly discouraged. Taylor also helps those with a lifelong fear of swimming and those with disabilities. Marine Sergeant Bernadetta Ruch expanded and directed several impor- tant community projects in Dushanbe despite working in an understaffed de- tachment at post with a 35-percent hard- ship differential. She served Thanks- giving dinner to more than 100 people and brought 140 children to the em- bassy for the annual Marine “Toys for Tots” drive. Jan IreneMiller , a familymember in Panama City, brought 20 years of expe- rience in global technology to the Panama Chamber of Commerce proj- ect to resolve metropolitan transporta- tion issues. She coordinated hundreds of research reports and manuals from global expert sources, constructing a Web site to serve as a central repository. Her analysis made its way to the incom- ing government, which established a Cabinet-level position to lead a multi- billion-dollar, five-year mass transit so- lution. AAFSW also presented the Eleanor Dodson Tragen Award (for ef- forts to enhance the global rights and benefits provided to Foreign Service family mem- bers) to Mette Beecroft. Sheila Switzer, spouse of AFSA Com- municationsDirector TomSwit- zer, received the Lesley Dorman Award, given to an AAFSW member who has performed outstanding service in all as- pects of the organization. For full coverage of the SOSA awards and to learn how to nominate a colleague, please visit the AAFSW Web site at www.aafsw.org . ❏ Foreign Affairs Day F oreign Affairs Day, including AFSA’s annual Memorial Plaque ceremony, will take place onMay 7 at the Department of State. We are sad to announce that three names will be added to the plaque: Victoria J. DeLong, who died in the earthquake in Haiti; Dale J. Gredler, who died en route to the U.S. from Kazakhstan; and Terrence L. Barnich, who was killed in Iraq. The plaque ceremony will begin at 10:25 a.m. in the C Street lobby, and Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton is ex- pected to preside. We invite all mem- bers of the Foreign Service community to join us for this solemn occasion. (Please note that the ceremony will also be broadcast by BNet.) For more infor- mation, please e-mail AFSA’s Coordina- tor for Special Awards and Outreach Perri Green at green@afsa.org . On a more cheerful note, that same afternoon AFSA will host its traditional reception for all members, from 3:00 to 5:00 pm. During that time we will also present our high school merit and art awards to local winning students. We look forward to seeing you here at AFSA headquarters (2101 E St. NW,Washing- ton, D.C.). ❏ A F S A N E W S The Secretary of State’s Outstanding Volunteers BY FRANCESCA KELLY Award recipients at the State Dept., Dec. 8. From left: Jan Irene Miller, Mette Beecroft, Bernadetta Ruch, Sec. Clinton, Jay Taylor, Erin Sweeney, Lara Cen- ter, former AAFSW President Lesley Dorman, JanMarie Flattum-Riemers and Sheila Switzer. ROBERT MARK STEWART