The Foreign Service Journal, September 2016

72 SEPTEMBER 2016 | THE FOREIGN SERVICE JOURNAL AFSA NEWS Tangible Results for EFMs and Mission Jordan THE AV I S BOHLEN AWARD FOR A FORE I GN SERV I CE FAMI LY MEMBER SHAWN AKARD Jordan is a key strategic partner of the United States and the embassy in Amman is one of the few family-friendly posts in the region. Shawn Akard’s work through the State Department’s Global Employment Initiative has helped to build a community for families at post, a tough ask in an increasingly chaotic and radicalized region. For the last four years, she has been invaluable in efforts to improve morale and youth outreach there. Ms. Akard created and implemented an Appointment Eligible Family Member hiring mechanism at the USAID Mission in Amman, saving the Bureau of Human Resources time and money and decreas- ing competition for family member employment at post. The approach has been so successful that the State Department plans to replicate it at other posts. As co-founder of the implementation team for the United Nations Local Expatriate Spouses Associa- tion, as well as a professional development group at the embassy, Ms. Akard has helped to triple EFM employ- ment in Amman. In addition to identifying employment and volunteer opportunities, she has conducted 35 workshops for EFMs, serving almost 700 attendees. In the face of alarm- ing youth unemployment figures in the country, Ms. Akard has run more than 100 workshops for Jordanian university graduates on such soft skills as interviewing and résumé writing. Students’ let- ters to the embassy thanking her for her help are a testa- ment to the change a single volunteer can make. She also works with nongovernmental organizations across Amman, raising money for groups that are deeply needed but strug- gling to survive. One example is Nour Al Bakara, Amman’s first com- munity garden project. For two years Ms. Akard led fund raising efforts and advised members on proper planting procedures, ultimately ensur- ing that the garden, one of the few safe spaces in Jordan for people with mental and physical disabilities, could remain open. She has also volunteered with the Anzeh Aziza Cleanup effort, addressing sanitation issues due to overcrowding by developing anti-littering and environmental awareness campaigns aimed at school children. Ms. Akard is global employ- ment adviser for the Near East Asia region, currently based in Amman. Previously, as a volunteer, she wrote grants to fund non-formal education for Iraqi and Syrian refugees. She has worked as a preschool teacher, an addiction coun- selor for the Department of the Army and as a substance abuse counselor for adoles- cents. In a male-dominated culture where approval ratings of America often hover near 12 percent, Ms. Akard has made inroads and delivered tangible results not just for EFMs, but also for Jordanian youth and the larger society. In accepting the award, she thanked her colleagues and the embassy community in Amman, saying: “I couldn’t have done a fraction of the work without being a part of one of the most exciting and dynamic posts in the world. I was surrounded by hardwork- ing, intelligent people who val- ued my skill, trusted my ability and worked collaboratively to benefit the mission and the country.” n Shawn Akard teaches a class about LinkedIn to students at the American Corner at the University of Jordan. COURTESYSHAWNAKARD Award winner Shawn Akard (center) stands with Ambassador (ret.) Avis Bohlen, left, and AFSA President Ambassador Barbara Stephenson. The award for a Foreign Service family member is named for Amb. Bohlen’s mother. AFSA/JOAQUINSOSA. AFSA EXEMPLARY PERFORMANCE AWARDS