The Foreign Service Journal, November 2016

56 NOVEMBER 2016 | THE FOREIGN SERVICE JOURNAL AFSA NEWS ACCEPT I NG NOMI NAT I ONS FOR S I NCLA I RE LANGUAGE AWARD AFSA is now accepting nominations for the 2016 Matilda W. Sinclaire Language Award. The deadline is January 15, 2017. Each year, thanks to a bequest from the late Foreign Service officer MatildaW. Sinclaire, AFSA spotlights members of the Foreign Service who have excelled in their study of a Category III or IV language and its associ- ated culture. Foreign language skills are critical in today’s diplomacy. Candidates may be nominated by their language training supervisors at the Foreign Service Institute, by instructors in field schools or by post language officers. Awardees will receive a monetary prize and certificate of recognition. For information about the 2016 winners, see the May issue of The Foreign Service Journal. For further information, please contact AFSAAwards Coordinator Perri Green at green@afsa.org or (202) 719-9700. Read more about the Sinclaire Awards at www.afsa.org/sinclaire. n ANNOUNCEMENT AFSA/JOSH Call For AFSAOutstanding Performance Award Nominations AFSA award certificates, presented at an annual ceremony each June. AFSA/JOAQUINSOSA Each year, AFSA offers a number of awards celebrat- ing outstanding performance by members of the Foreign Service. AFSA encourages nominations for the follow- ing exemplary performance awards: 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 accomplishments of a family member of a For- eign Service employee whose relations with the American and foreign communities at post have done the most to advance the interests of the United States. The Mark Palmer Award for the Advancement of Democracy is bestowed on a member of the Foreign Ser- vice who advances the ideals of democracy and freedom abroad through commitment and ingenuity. A travel stipend is given with this award to allow the recipient to attend the awards ceremony. The AFSA Post Represen- tative of the Year Award is presented to an exemplary AFSA post representative who has demonstrated sustained and successful engagement with AFSAmembership at post and post management to advance the strategic priori- ties of the association. Recipients of the Delavan, Guess, Bohlen and Palmer awards are presented with a monetary prize of $2,500. Recipients of the Post Rep- resentative of the Year award receive a monetary prize of $1000, plus a $500 award for AFSA sponsored activities at post done within two years of receiving the award. The Nomination Process The deadline for nomina- tions for exemplary perfor- mance awards is February 28, 2017. Anyone may nominate a superior, peer or subordinate for an AFSA award. The nomi- nation must be 700 words or