The Foreign Service Journal, November 2014

78 NOVEMBER 2014 | THE FOREIGN SERVICE JOURNAL AFSA NEWS Recognize the Superlative: Nominate Someone for an Exemplary Performance Award AFSA highlights the exem- plary performance of its mem- bers in a number of awards given each year. Nominations for these awards are now being accepted. The Nelson B. Delavan Award recognizes the work of a Foreign Service Office Man- agement Specialist who has made a significant contribu- tion to post or office effective- ness and morale beyond the framework of her or his job responsibilities. The M. Juanita Guess Award is conferred on a Community Liaison Office Coordinator who has demon- strated outstanding leader- ship, dedication, initiative or imagination in assisting the families of Americans serving at an overseas post. The Avis Bohlen Award honors the volunteer accom- plishments of a family member of a Foreign Service employee whose relations with the American and foreign communities at post have done the most to advance the interests of the United States. Recipients of the above Delavan, Guess, and Bohlen awards are presented with a prize of $2,500. For the first time in a number of years, AFSA is also offering the AFSAAchieve- ment and Contributions to the Association Award . This award recognizes an active- duty or retiree AFSAmember of any of the foreign affairs agencies represented by AFSA (i.e., State, USAID, FCS, FAS, APHIS or BBG) who has made a significant (non-monetary) contribution to AFSA in its role either as the professional association of practitioners of diplomacy, or its role as a labor union representing Foreign Service members. Recipients of this award are presented with a prize of $1,000. All award recipients are honored at a ceremony in June in the Benjamin Franklin Diplomatic Reception Room at the State Department. Nomination Procedures Nominations for any of the awards may be submitted by anyone with knowledge of the nominee’s accomplishments. The nomination must be 700 words or fewer, and must include all of the following elements: •The name of the award for which the person is being nominated, along with the nominee’s grade, agency and position (or, for the Bohlen Award, the family relationship) •The nominator’s name, grade, agency and position, if applicable, along with a description of his or her asso- ciation with the nominee •A justification for nomina- tion that should discuss the actions and qualities that qualify the nominee for the award, with specific examples of accomplishments. For more details on the awards and to nominate on- line, visit www.afsa.org/perfor- mance. If you have questions, contact Awards and Outreach Coordinator Perri Green at green@afsa.org or (202) 719- 9700. n Retired Ambassador Thomas J. Pickering was interviewed at AFSA headquarters for the documentary “America’s Diplomats.” AFSA/DEBRABLOME Documentary on America’s Diplomats Filmed at AFSA For a few days in Septem- ber, AFSA played host to a documentary film crew from the Foreign Policy Associa- tion as they filmed interviews with Foreign Service officers for “America’s Diplomats,” a documentary film. Intended for broadcast on PBS, the one-hour film will examine the origins of the Foreign Service and the current role of diplomacy, highlighting the work and sacrifices made by Foreign Service members. The film is expected to debut in 2015. To date, MacDara King, chief infor- mation officer of the For- eign Policy Association and executive producer of “Great Decisions” on PBS, has interviewed more than 40 diplomats, historians, journalists and academics for the project and expects to double that number before filming is complete. King notes that the proj- ect has been receiving “over- whelming support” from the Foreign Service community, including AFSA, DACOR and the State Department. n