The Foreign Service Journal, December 2008

70 F OR E I GN S E R V I C E J OU R N A L / DE C EMB E R 2 0 0 8 A F S A N E W S thin serving in increasingnumbers of dan- gerous anddifficult posts,whereourmem- bers are using their skills to promote our nation’s vital interests. The situation fac- ing today’s Foreign Servicemakes AFSA’s 40-year-oldawards programmore relevant than ever. No one can win unless he or she is nominated. Now is the time to honor those who have the professional courage and integrity tospeakout, usingappropriate channels; who take a stand for what they believe is right;whoconfront the statusquo; who ask tough questions; who offer alter- native solutions; andwhogive thebest pos- sible counsel thatmembers of the Foreign Service are trained to give. The way to honor them is to nominate them for one of ourAFSAConstructiveDissentAwards. In recent years, AFSA has often not receivedqualifyingnominations inall avail- able categories. Despite that fact, we are convinced that Foreign Service members worldwide continue to practice construc- tive dissent; what we find is a shortage of colleagueswho recognize those acts of dis- sent and take the time to submit nomina- tions. Thus, we encourage allmembers to think about colleagues who have taken a stand over the past year, and to nominate them for one of these prestigious awards. We especially encourage members to nominate colleagues from other foreign affairs agencies, from other sections and outside one’s own chain of command. In the hour or two it takes to write a nomi- nation, youwill be upholding the best tra- ditions of our Service. Dissent awards are offered in four cat- egories. They may be awarded for speak- ing out within appropriate channels on either foreignpolicy ormanagement/per- sonnel issues: • The TexHarris Award for a Foreign Service specialist. • The AverellHarrimanAward for an entry-level officer (FS 4, 5 or 6). •The WilliamRivkinAward for amid- career officer (FS 1, 2 or 3). • The ChristianA.HerterAward for a senior officer (FE/OC-FE/CA). AFSA also offers three annual awards for exemplary performance of assignedor voluntary duties at an overseas post that constitutes an extraordinary contribution to effectiveness, professionalism and morale. The awards are: • The Delevan Award , for an Office Management Specialistwhohasmadea sig- nificant contribution topost or office effec- tiveness andmoralebeyond the framework of his/her job responsibilities. • The M. Juanita Guess Award , for a Community Liaison Officer who has demonstrated outstanding leadership, dedication, initiative or imagination in assisting the families of Americans serving at an overseas post. • The Avis Bohlen Award , for a Foreign Service Eligible Family Member whose relationswith theAmericanand for- eign communities at post have done the most to advance the interests of the United States. AswithAFSA’s dissent awards, winners receive a cash prize of $2,500 and will be honored at a ceremony in late June in the BenjaminFranklinDiplomaticReception Room at the State Department. Details on nomination procedures and guidelines are online at www.afsa. org/awards/index.cfm. There youwill find ahyperlink toarticles about the 2008AFSA awardwinners, aswell as a listingof all past award winners. The deadline for submitting nomina- tions is Feb. 27, 2009. Under the supervision of the AFSA Awards and Plaques Committee, chaired by Ambassador John Limbert, all nomi- nations are reviewed andvetted. All nom- inations will be acknowledged. Any questions may be directed to Barbara Berger, Coordinator for Profes- sional Issues, by e-mail toberger@afsa.org, by telephone at (202) 338-4045, ext. 521, or by fax to (202) 338-6820. Award Call • Continued from page 59 Now is the time to honor those who have the professional courage and integrity to speak out. Jonathan Sperling Joins Governing Board AFSA’s Governing Board welcomes Jonathan Sperling as a new retiree repre- sentative. Mr. Sperling, a retired Senior Foreign Service officer with the U.S. Agency for International Development, brings to the board 28 years of experience in the planning, design, evaluation and negoti- ation of development programs in Asia, Africa, the Middle East, the Balkans and the former Soviet Union for USAID. Since 1994, he has worked as a consul- tant for U.S. and host-country private voluntary organizations, nongovern- mental organizations and private-sector firms. Mr. Sperling’s expertise includes grant and contract management, program design and evaluation, strategic and financial planning, and assessment and risk analysis of commercial and devel- opmental investment proposals. He has been intimately involved with recruiting and training new USAID Foreign Service employees under both the new entry professional and develop- ment leadership initiative programs since early 2001. Mr. Sperling previously served on the AFSA Governing Board as USAID rep from 1979 to 1981. He has two daugh- ters, Alexandra and Victoria, and enjoys jogging, sailing and reading. Thank you to ... Oscar de Soto, who has retired from the AFSA Governing Board as of Sept. 30. However, Mr. De Soto is still very much involved in AFSA activities: he is chairing the Elections Committee for the upcoming AFSA election season. AFSA NEWS BRIEFS