The Foreign Service Journal, July-August 2005

8 AFSA NEWS • JULY-AUGUST 2005 Avis Bohlen Award FOR A FOREIGN SERVICE FAMILY MEMBER Lisa Vershbow O ver the past four years, Lisa Vershbow has been an extra- ordinary cultural ambassador for the United States, pro- moting a wider understanding in Russia of American contemporary art and personally organizing artistic exchange exhibitions. Lisa Vershbow used her professional background as a jewelry designer and teacher to promote American contemporary art and craft in Russia and to reach out to the Russian community. Vershbow conceived and organized an exchange exhibition in Moscow, featuring works by 35 contemporary jewelry artists from the Washington area and 35 fromMoscow— the first-ever major exhibition of its kind in Russia. Another one of her many success- ful endeavors was to serve as a mentor for a student design com- pany sponsored by Junior Achievement of Russia. Her own creative work has been shown in museums in six major Russian cities. For each of her exhibitions, Vershbow has given a lecture to local curators and critics and taught a master class for local jewelry artists. A curator in Kaliningrad said that one of Vershbow’s exhibits had “stimulated a revolution among local designers, who have started to experiment more with non-tradi- tional forms and materials,” according to the Bohlen nomination. Vershbow assembled a highly unusual collection of contempo- rary American crafts for the Art in Embassies collection at the ambassador’s historic residence, Spaso House, and organized tours for local curators and gallery owners to view the exhibits and learn more about American craft movements and artists. She opened Spaso House to the wider expatriate community through her Saturday morning “Art Tours,” and provided information about the architecture and history of the residence and background about the artists displayed in the Art in Embassies collection to a wide range of visitors, including Russian art students, members of the embassy community and high-level officials. In appreciation of her efforts, the Russian Academy of Fine Arts made her an honorary member. “Serving in Moscow as the spouse of the ambassador is a tremendous privilege but has also provided the opportunity for many fascinating experiences as an artist,” says Lisa Vershbow. She adds, “Art is a wonderful repre- sentational tool and my various projects proved to be a good way to share a slice of American culture.” She notes that it is particu- larly meaningful to be able to carry on the tradition of Avis Bohlen herself, who also lived in Spaso House. When not posted abroad, Vershbow teaches metalsmithing and design and works out of a studio at the Torpedo Factory Art Center in Alexandria. She shows her work at numerous exhibi- tions. She is married to U.S. Ambassador to Russia Alexander Vershbow.  AFSA’S 2005 EXEMPLARY PERFORMANCE AWARD WINNERS Lisa Vershbow, wearing an original piece of her jewelry. Above: Posters for a Moscow exhibit of Vershbow’s work. AFSA Special Achievement Award David Dlouhy I n appreciationof his outstanding leadership in improving retiree services at the Department of State, AFSAhas chosen to honor David Dlouhy with the AFSA Special Achievement Award. During his 30-year Foreign Service career, Dlouhy has earned the reputation as a man who understands people and processes and who can make the system work. In 2004, he was asked by the director general to take a one-year special assignment as direc- tor of the Office of Retirement. He is also serving as the admin- istrator for the Foreign Service Retirement and Disability Fund. Dlouhy was assigned to lead the retirement division at a time when AFSA was speaking out on serious deficiencies in the way the retirement office was handling retiree issues and pushingman- agement for action to fix the problems. Dlouhy took the con- cerns seriously and worked to solve problems that were endem- ic to the system. As AFSA Retiree Liaison Bonnie Brown put it, “He sees the problems, and he’s been responsive.” In pursuing improvements to retiree services, Dlouhy demon- strated genuine and thoughtful concern for the problems facing retirees and those near retirement; commitment to reforming the retirement system; innovation in creating new systems and pro- cedures to enhance services; and exceptional skill in bringing peo- ple and interests together in a positive way. He has brought more accountability into the Retiree Office, setting up procedures and protocols that have already helped improve customer service. Dlouhy helped create a newWeb site for Foreign Service retirees and employees – RNet. During Foreign Affairs Day, May 6, Dlouhy officially launched the new site. AFSAhad previously asked the director general to create a Web site for retirees, and David Dlouhy deserves much of the credit for the establishment of this Web service. State describes it as “the Internet gateway to a life- time relationshipwith the Department of State for active employ- ees participating in our retirement programs and retirees and annu- David Dlouhy and AFSA State Vice President Louise Crane during Foreign Affairs Day, May 2005. Continued on page 9