The Foreign Service Journal, September 2007

70 F OR E I GN S E R V I C E J OU R N A L / S E P T EMB E R 2 0 0 7 A F S A N E W S 2007 AFSA OUTSTANDING PERFORMANCE AWARD WINNERS Special Awards of Appreciation Faye Barnes Robert Wozniak A FSA presented two Special Awards of Appreciation at the June ceremony. One went to Faye Barnes, who is retiring following an assignment as the customer service coordina- tor in the Office of Retirement. The other award recognized FS retiree Robert Wozniak for his eight years as chairman of the association’s Election Committee. Faye Barnes has played an important role in the improvement of retiree services in the State Department’s Office of Retirement. Her concern and care in responding quickly to retiree problems and requests has been much appreciated by the retiree community. AFSA has consis- tently called on her to assist our mem- bers and has worked jointly with her on many retiree-related issues. As she did during her tenure as director of the Family Liaison Office, Barnes set the standard for positive atti- tude and responsiveness, creative prob- lem solving, and willingness to be an advocate for those issues affecting Foreign Service employees and their families. She will be greatly missed by AFSA and, in particular, the retirees whom she has served so well. Barnes told AFSA News that she was surprised and touched by the award. Accepting her award, she said she hopes that the department will continue to fund retirement services and staff the office with people who care. Faye Barnes, who is fromCanada, spent 20 years abroad as a Foreign Service spouse, serving in Caracas, Madrid, Lima, Bonn, Mexico City, London and Washington, D.C. She is married to Richard L. Barnes, an FAS retiree. Robert J. Wozniak served for the past eight years as chairman of the AFSA Election Committee and has devoted countless hours to its important work. His steady leadership and dedication to the goal of promoting the smooth transition of AFSA’s Governing Board every two years has contributed significantly to the successful running of the organization. He has generously contributed his time and talents to ensure that the election process was conducted in a fair and transparent manner. AFSA is deeply grateful for his commitment and dedication to the association. At the podium, Wozniak expressed appreciation for the AFSA staff, and said that he shares the award with them. Commenting further he tells AFSA News . “It was the AFSA staff who carried the load, pointed me in correct directions. One of the best aspects of the experience for me was working with some truly fine people on the professional staff and learning how very dependent the Governing Board is on their expertise and dedicated service.” Wozniak joined the Foreign Service, and AFSA, in 1963, and enjoyed a 34-year career with USIA. He took on the election com- mittee position as a way to give something back to AFSA. Delavan Award FOR A FOREIGN SERVICE OFFICE MANAGEMENT SPECIALIST Margaret Weber Baker M argaret Weber Baker has made lasting contribu- tions to the Embassy Tel Aviv community, and always seeks out opportunities to improve the mission beyond her responsibilities as the office management specialist in the economic section. For her efforts to enhance the embassy community experience, give voice to the concerns of those often overlooked and improve the workplace, Baker was select- ed as winner of the 2007 Delavan Award. Embassy Tel Aviv is an extremely busy place, where attention fromWashington and visits by the Secretary contribute to a fast- paced work environment. Baker helped foster a sense of communi- ty among embassy employees. Among her many contributions to post morale was a successful effort to save the embassy cafeteria when it was going to be shut down by the Health Unit. She organized a committee, sent out a customer survey and used the results to prioritize the necessary improvements. She succeeded in revitalizing the cafeteria, which is now a vibrant meeting place for all embassy employees. Baker was the driving force behind the organization of an OMS group that represented their concerns to the front office, leading to increased opportunities for work on the Secretary’s visits, training and temporary-duty opportunities. Her leadership helped the group break through barriers that had prevented some of her col- leagues from voicing their opinions, and led to greater appreciation in the mission for the work of the 10 OMSs at post. During an R&R break in the U.S., Baker took a computer course at FSI. Upon return to post, she volunteered her knowledge of a new office systemwhose implementation had been delayed due to a lack of training resources, and was the catalyst for implement- ing the system throughout the embassy. The nomination for Baker describes her as “the cheerleader, organizer and self-starter that every community needs in order to cement together its disparate parts. At Embassy Tel Aviv, she was always on the lookout for ways to improve morale and get people involved.” Baker joined the Foreign Service in 1999 after 14 years as a civil servant with the Defense Department. In addition to Tel Aviv, she has served in Moscow, Pristina and Washington, D.C. Baker on the roof terrace of Embassy Tel Aviv, with the city of Jaffa and the Mediterranean Sea in the background. Baker (standing, center) with colleagues from Embassy Tel Aviv’s economic section, Christmas, 2006. Faye Barnes Robert Wozniak