The Foreign Service Journal, December 2021

THE FOREIGN SERVICE JOURNAL | DECEMBER 2021 63 AFSA NEWS AFSA NEWS THE OFFICIAL RECORD OF THE AMERICAN FOREIGN SERVICE ASSOCIATION AFSA Awards Honor Foreign Service Excellence and Constructive Dissent For 53 years, AFSA has been proud to highlight achieve- ment, courage and sacrifice within the Foreign Service community through its awards program. This year, due to ongoing concerns over the COVID-19 delta vari- ant, AFSA hosted its annual awards ceremony in a virtual format on Oct. 19. Hundreds of guests tuned in to applaud the winners of the 2020 and 2021 awards for outstanding performance and constructive dissent, and to honor both years’ recipients of AFSA’s Award for Lifetime Contributions to American Diplomacy. AFSA recognized 23 award recipients during the ceremony: 13 who had been selected in 2020 (their profiles appeared in the Dec. 2020 FSJ ) , and 10 who received awards this year (profiles begin on page 20) . AFSA President Eric Rubin served as emcee of the ceremony before an audience that featured family members and colleagues of the recipi- ents, as well as former award winners. Ambassador Rubin welcomed and recognized five former recipients of AFSA’s Award for Lifetime Contribu- tions to American Diplomacy: Ambassadors (ret.) Herman “Hank”Cohen, Ruth Davis, Tom Boyatt, Ron Neumann and Bill Harrop. “Due to COVID-19, we were unable to gather in person their awards. AFSA congratu- lates all the 2020 and 2021 award recipients! Lifetime Contributions Amb. Rubin presented the 2021 Award for Lifetime Contributions to American Diplomacy to Ambassador (ret.) John D. Negroponte . In accepting, Amb. Negroponte reflected on his 44 years of government service and foreign policy accomplishments. “I held nine senatorially confirmed positions under five different presidents and got to know every Secretary of State since the Nixon administration. There were many highlights,”Amb. Negro- ponte said. “Prominent among them were the opportunities to serve on the National Security Council staff under Dr. Henry Ambassador John D. Negroponte delivers remarks on accepting the 2021 Award for Lifetime Contributions to American Diplomacy. Katherine Perkins speaks on behalf of her late father, Ambassador (ret.) Edward J. Perkins, recipient of the 2020 Award for Lifetime Contributions to American Diplomacy. last year, and that unfortunate situation remains with us still,”Amb. Rubin said in his opening remarks.“However, rather than ask our recipients to wait yet another year to be recognized, we decided it was right to honor our colleagues from both 2020 and this year. Their achievements deserve to be highlighted.” He also acknowledged the passing of four Lifetime Award recipients over the past two years: Ambassador (ret.) Edward J. Perkins, who died on Nov. 7, 2020, not long after learning of his selec- tion for the award; Ambas- sador (ret.) George Landau, Ambassador (ret.) Bill Swing and former Secretary of State George Shultz. Award recipients partici- pated virtually from all over the world and gave brief remarks as they accepted AFSA/JULIAWOHLERS AFSA/JULIAWOHLERS CALENDAR Please check www.afsa.org for the most up-to-date information. December 1 AFSA Scholarship Applications Available December 8 12-2 p.m. AFSA Governing Board Meeting December 9 12-1 p.m. AFSA Book Notes: Career Diplomacy December 13 Federal Health Benefits Open Season Ends December 24 Christmas Eve AFSA Offices Closed December 31 New Year’s Eve AFSA Offices Closed January 17 Martin Luther King Day AFSA Offices Closed January 19 12-2 p.m. AFSA Governing Board Meeting Kissinger in the 1970s and again under General Colin Powell at the end of the Reagan administration. Later, as director of national intel- ligence, I developed a close working relationship with GeorgeW. Bush, who gave me extraordinary opportunities to serve the country.” Negroponte continued: “Reflecting back on these