The Foreign Service Journal, September 2011

S ome of themost outstandingmembers of the ForeignService communitywerehonoredatAFSA’s annual awards ceremony, heldon June 23 in the StateDepartment’s BenjaminFranklin Diplomatic Reception Room. For the 44th time, AFSA spotlight- ed those who have exhibited courage through constructively dis- senting fromset policies or performed above andbeyond their offi- cial duties. Before a large crowd of well-wishers and supporters, AFSA President Susan R. Johnson presided at this year’s ceremony. Ambassador Bill Burns, under secretary of State for political affairs, presented theLifetimeContributions toAmericanDiplomacyAward toAmbassadorRozanne L. “Roz”Ridgway. Amb. Ridgway’smany career highlights include her role as top negotiator during all five U.S.-Soviet summits in the 1980s. She accepted her award to loud applause, andgenerously acknowledgedhermentors andcolleagues in her remarks. AFSA’s performance awards were presented to Larry Fields, Embassy Kathmandu, who was honored as AFSA Post Represen- tative of the Year; Ann E. Rehme, Embassy Pretoria, who received the Nelson B. Delavan Award for an Office Management Specialist;MikeVining, EmbassyUlaanbaatar, who took home the M. Juanita Guess Award for a Community Liaison Officer; and Terry Farrar, U.S. Interest SectionHavana, andCharla Chaudhry, Embassy Chisinau, who shared the Avis Bohlen Award for eligi- ble family members. The ceremony ended with presentation of AFSA’s awards for constructivedissent. Joel Ehrendreichreceived theWilliamR. Rivkin Award for dissent bymid-level officers for his yearslong campaign to change a longstanding policy that he felt had a negative impact on U.S.-Japanese relations. The F. Allen “Tex” Harris Award for FS specialists was given to Maurizio Visani for his advocacy for OpenNet access forU.S. consulates around theworld. And this year’s recipient of the ChristianHerter Award for senior officers was Dr. James W. Bayuk, who was recognized for his dedicated campaign for organizational changes within the Office of Medical Services. Please visit www.afsa.org/awards for more information on the AFSA dissent and performance awards, and see pages 52 and 53 for more photos from the ceremony. S E P T EMB E R 2 0 1 1 / F OR E I GN S E R V I C E J OU R N A L 47 American Foreign Service Association • September 2011 AFSA NEWS AFSA Presents Awards for Dissent and Performance BY ASGEIR SIGFUSSON, AFSA MARKETING AND OUTREACH MANAGER (left to right) Susan Johnson, Joel Ehrendreich, Amb. Roz Ridgway, Brianna Chaudhry, Larry Fields, Rishan Chaudhry, Mike Vining, Terry Farrar, Ann Rehme, James Bayuk and Ian Houston. DONNA AYERST