The Foreign Service Journal, December 2022

AFSA NEWS 74 DECEMBER 2022 | THE FOREIGN SERVICE JOURNAL DIPLOMACYCENTERFOUNDATION AFSA Honored for Excellence in Diplomacy At an awards ceremony on Oct. 20, the Diplomacy Center Foundation (DCF) recognized AFSA’s work in support of American diplo- macy and presented AFSA President Eric Rubin with the 2022 Excellence in Diplo- macy award. During the event, which took place at DACOR Bacon House, DCF President Ambassador Roman Popa- diuk thanked the association for its service to the foreign affairs agencies it repre- sents. “Throughout the decades, AFSA has represented our foreign affairs community and supported their work both abroad and at home,” he said. “AFSA has also been at the forefront in educat- ing the public about the importance of American diplomacy in furthering our nation’s security and eco- nomic prosperity. Tonight’s event is aimed at bring- ing to public attention the dedicated work of AFSA and highlighting the importance of careers in diplomacy.” Foreign Service Direc- tor General and Director of Global Talent Marcia Bernicat also offered remarks and thanked Ambassador Rubin for his leadership. The Diplomacy Center Foundation, which partnered with the State Department in building the National Museum of American Diplo- DCP President Roman Popadiuk (left), AFSA President Eric Rubin, and DACOR President James Dandridge II pose at the Oct. 20 awards ceremony. macy, launched this award in 2019 to honor an indi- vidual or group with distin- guished service to American diplomacy. n Thank You, Ambassador Sullivan! AFSA extends its sincere gratitude to John Sullivan as he retires from public service after serving under five American presidents, includ- ing as Deputy Secretary of State from 2017 to 2019 and then as ambassador to the Russian Federation from 2020 to 2022. In this role, he man- aged the U.S. mission through its most difficult period in decades. Senior FSO Bart Gorman, former deputy chief of mis- sion in Moscow, highlighted Ambassador Sullivan’s steady guidance in the face of historic challenges: “We endured recurring adversity— COVID-19 lockdowns, the forced termination of all local staff, waves of large-scale expulsions, a diplomatic visa war, a compound in increas- ing disrepair, and the invasion of Ukraine—because of the ambassador’s unwavering leadership. “What truly inspired our community was that inside the embassy, Ambassador Sul- livan stood on little to no pre- tense. He was approachable, down-to-earth, and his humor was infectious. His timely use of pop culture quotes made all of us laugh and work even harder. He is among the very few people I call mentor and friend. All of us who served at Embassy Moscow and Mission Russia for the past three years consider ourselves fortunate to have had Ambassador Sul- livan as our leader.” AFSA President Ambas- sador Eric Rubin hailed Amb. Sullivan’s staunch support of career employees and the For- eign Service: “During his time as Deputy Secretary of State as well as his tenure as U.S. ambassador to Russia, John Sullivan went to bat to defend our colleagues on multiple occasions. His patriotism and support for our career federal employees deserve our deep- est respect and appreciation.” In November, John Sullivan became a distinguished fellow at Georgetown University’s School of Foreign Service, affiliated with the Center for Eurasian, Russian, and East European Studies. n John Sullivan. U.S.DEPARTMENTOFSTATE