The Foreign Service Journal, December 2022

THE FOREIGN SERVICE JOURNAL | DECEMBER 2022 65 AFSA NEWS national Megan’s Law and better protect children around the world from the threat of sexual exploitation. In his acceptance remarks, Mr. May urged the Foreign Service community to continue to press for action on this issue: “I ask that all of you keep talking about this. We have an obli- gation to protect children, if feasible; it is the right thing to do. Join me in making our voices heard about what our priorities are. How many thousands of children could we have saved from horrific experiences if we had acted on this five years ago?” The W. Averell Harriman Award for Constructive Dissent by an entry-level officer went to Michael White , who displayed immense integrity as a first-tour FSO by highlight- ing the inconsistencies and vulnerabilities within Mission Mexico’s TN visa policy and adjudication standards for Canadian and Mexican professionals under the U.S.- Mexico-Canada Agreement. Mr. White shared his observations on the experi- ence: “If it were not for the winners that have come before me and their inspiring stories and work to create this culture of constructive dissent, I might not have been able to keep going. That is why this recogni- tion is so important, that by standing here today, we might inspire another Foreign Service officer to be bold.” Exemplary Performance AFSA offers six awards in recognition of exemplary per- formance and extraordinary contributions to effectiveness, professionalism, morale, and the advancement of democ- racy. The Avis Bohlen Award honors the accomplishments of a Foreign Service family member whose relations with the American and foreign communities at post have done the most to advance the interests of the United States. Ambassador Avis Bohlen presented the award named after her late mother, in whose honor the recognition was established by Ambassador W. Averell Harriman in 1982. Highlighting the award’s sig- nificance, Amb. Bohlen said: “The contributions of family members are so important to the life of a mission and so often overlooked.” This year, Foreign Service family member Virginia Carlson was recognized for her creativity in organizing activities that boosted morale across U.S. Embassy Kingston and for her efforts to give back to the local community by organizing a highly success- ful book drive for Jamaican schools and libraries. The Nelson B. Delavan Award is conferred on a Foreign Service office man- agement specialist (OMS) who has made a significant contribution in post or office effectiveness and morale beyond the framework of his or her job responsibilities. The award was presented by Mark Delavan Harrop, whose grand- mother created the Nelson B. Delavan Foundation in honor of her late husband. Denis Rajic is this year’s Delavan recipient for his exceptional problem-solving skills to ensure the welfare and safety of both Ameri- cans and local staff during Shanghai’s largest COVID-19 outbreak and lockdown since the start of the pandemic. Judit Kaczor , who was pulled from her section to serve as OMS in the front office in Colombo, and also volunteered to assist with Afghanistan evacuation efforts from Doha, was the 2022 runner-up. The M. Juanita Guess Award , presented by Jon Clements in honor of his late mother, for whom the award is named, recognizes the work of a community liaison office coordinator (CLO) who has demonstrated outstanding leadership, dedication, initia- tive, or imagination in assist- ing the families of Americans serving at an overseas post. Christine Peterson received this year’s Guess Award for her tireless service to the U.S. Embassy Kabul community and her advo- cacy for locally employed colleagues in the midst of unprecedented challenges during evacuation. In her moving accep- tance remarks, Ms. Peterson thanked her colleagues from State and USAID for their steadfast support of the mission community.“Their Amb. Charles Rivkin (right) presents Jennifer Davis with the William R. Rivkin Award for constructive dissent at the Oct. 19 awards ceremony. AFSA/CALEBSCHLABACH