The Foreign Service Journal, September 2015

60 SEPTEMBER 2015 | THE FOREIGN SERVICE JOURNAL AFSA NEWS AFSA/JOAQUINSOSA Harriman Award recipient Amelia Shaw (far left) with friends. Amb. Harrop (far right), the 2015 LCAD recipient, celebrates with his extended family after the ceremony. AFSA/JOAQUINSOSA AFSA/JOAQUINSOSA Constructive Dissent Awards AFSA’s constructive dissent awards honor Foreign Service personnel who have demon- strated courage to critique an unjust or inefficient policy or practice and the creativity to offer constructive solutions. These awards are unique within the federal govern- ment and foster a culture of acceptance within the Foreign Service of respectful, well- timed and tough messaging for the betterment of policy. Megan Gallardo accepted the F. Allen “Tex” Harris Award on behalf of this year’s recipi- ent, Jeffrey Bing of Embassy Sarajevo. Mark Delavan Harrop presented the award, which is made possible by the Nelson B. Delavan Foundation and celebrates constructive dissent by a Foreign Service specialist. During her FS career, Bing has been a leader in the quest to garner greater recognition and respect for the crucial role of office man- agement specialists in the Foreign Service. Bing’s profile is on page 64. Ambassador-at-Large for Global Women’s Issues Cath- erine Russell presented the W. Averell Harriman Award, made possible by the Una Chapman Cox Foundation, to Amelia Shaw of Consul- ate General Tijuana. The Harriman Award recognizes constructive dissent by an entry-level FSO. Shaw, a vice consul in the consulate’s American citizen services unit, has petitioned to amend a law that places more stringent requirements on unmarried women for transmitting their American citizenship to their foreign- born children than it does on men or married women. Shaw’s profile is on page 63 and her article on dissent is on page 33. Samuel Kotis of Embassy New Delhi received the Wil- liam R. Rivkin Award from the Honorable Robert S. Rivkin, son of the late ambassa- dor for whom the award is named. This accolade, made possible by the Rivkin family, rewards constructive dissent by a mid-level FSO. While in New Delhi, Kotis successfully argued that Mission India should publish the air quality data they were collecting, which ultimately revitalized U.S.-Indian rela- tions on the environmental front. Kotis’ profile is on page 62 and his article on dissent is on page 37. Finally, the Christian A. Herter Award, presented by Deputy Secretary of State for Management and Resources Heather Higgin- bottom, recognized Thomas Duffy , director of the Office of United Nations Political Affairs in the Department of State’s Bureau of Interna- tional Organizations. Duffy received the Herter Award, presented to a senior-level FSO, for improv- ing the fraying relationship between IO and the U.S. Mis- sion to the United Nations in New York. Duffy’s profile is on page 61. Following the ceremony, the award winners and pre- senters gathered with friends and family to celebrate the Foreign Service, enjoy the beautiful Benjamin Franklin Room and share drinks, hors d’oeuvres and stories. n —Casey Knerr, Awards Intern