The Foreign Service Journal, December 2019

50 DECEMBER 2019 | THE FOREIGN SERVICE JOURNAL M. JUANITA GUESS AWARD RUNNER-UP Jennifer Allen J ennifer Allen is one of this year’s runners-up for the M. Juanita Guess Award for her leadership as com- munity liaison office (CLO) coordinator at U.S. Consulate General Guangzhou during a health alert crisis in 2018. In May of that year, the consul- ate learned that one of its employees was found to have medical findings consistent with the “Havana Syndrome” symptoms suffered by embassy personnel in Cuba. The news sent shockwaves through the large Guangzhou consulate community. As CLO, Ms. Allen played a key role in managing the crisis. On hearing the news, some employees feared for the safety of their family members and began mak- ing plans to depart post, while others worried that their tour in subtropical China would come to an abrupt end, disrupting their careers and children’s education. Having built strong and trusting relationships with nearly everyone at post, Ms. Allen was uniquely placed to provide feed- back on the community to post, mission and department leaders struggling with how to best manage the situation. Ms. Allen kept the front office in Beijing as well as consulate management apprised of the situation amid the constantly swirling rumors and speculation flowing around the community. Post leader- ship used this information to tailor town hall presentations to effectively lead the community though the crisis. Originally from California, Jennifer Allen has spent the past 17 years traveling the world with her consular-coned husband and family. After previous postings in Dili, Seoul, Barbados, Busan, Shenyang, Taipei and Guangzhou, her recent move to Frankfurt represents an entirely new continent to explore. Prior to her Foreign Service life, Ms. Allen worked as a school counselor. After finding her passion for working in the Commu- nity Liaison Office in Shenyang, Jennifer has spent the last three years serving as CLO coordinator in Guangzhou, and is excited to continue in this role in Frankfurt. M. JUANITA GUESS AWARD RUNNER-UP Jonette Cahoon Vaughan J onette Cahoon Vaughan is a runner- up for this year’s M. Juanita Guess Award for her outstanding work as community liaison office coordinator serving the U.S. Consulate General Frankfurt community. The Frankfurt consulate is one of the largest in the world, and 80 percent of the direct-hire employees have regional responsibilities that keep them on the road for weeks at a time. The spouses left behind can feel unsupported. But Ms. Vaughan’s outreach skills, compassion and uncanny ability to connect with people have made a big difference for family members. The Frankfurt consulate general community experienced sev- eral traumatic events during the past year. In June, an 8-year-old girl died after falling from a window at the housing compound. In February, a colleague died unexpectedly. And in November 2018, ConGen Frankfurt’s facility manager passed away in his sleep. In each case, Ms. Vaughan expertly shepherded the community through the difficult emotional aftermath of each tragic event. Jonette Cahoon Vaughan has served as the CLO in Ouagadou- gou and Frankfurt. Before her Foreign Service life, she lived in New York City, Singapore and Washington, D.C. She loves to run, read, travel and connect with people. MARK PALMER AWARD RUNNER-UP Robert Works R obert Works, a USAID Foreign Service officer, is recog- nized for his outstanding work promoting democracy in Nicaragua. In 2018 and 2019, Nicaragua suffered its most violent political crisis since the 1980s. The government suddenly cracked down on peaceful protests, killing more than 325 Nicaraguans, detaining more than 700, injuring thousands and forcing some Jennifer Allen. Jonette Vaughan. COURTESYOFJENNIFERALLEN COURTESYOFJONETTEVAUGHAN 2019 AFSA AWARDS RUNNERS-UP