THE FOREIGN SERVICE JOURNAL | DECEMBER 2023 51 Cederlind’s tireless efforts and close coordination with the Moral, Welfare, and Recreation; Veterinary; and Red Cross offices at Camp Lemonnier were a key component of the embassy’s success in dealing with the larger Sudan crisis. After the initial group of evacuees left Djibouti for safe haven in the United States, she continued to gather and deliver supplies for fresh waves of American citizen evacuees who stopped over in Djibouti, even coming to the embassy late at night to load her car with donations. Once all evacuees had been cared for, Cederlind arranged a final event to offer local staff an opportunity to receive any remaining donations. Erin Cederlind grew up in Nebraska and studied music at Gustavus Adolphus College in Minnesota. While there, she met her husband, Jonathan Poole. He joined the Diplomatic Security Service in 2003, the same year the couple were married. They and their two sons have since been posted in San Francisco, St. Petersburg, Tripoli, USUN New York City, Helsinki, and Washington, D.C. Cederlind has brought her love of music with her as they’ve traveled, participating in any performance opportunities she can find at post, joining orchestras and choirs, playing piano for receptions, or singing the national anthem for Independence Day events. Avis Bohlen Award for a Foreign Service Family Member Honorable Mention David Baugh Creating Community After Ordered Departure With a deteriorating economic outlook and an ongoing civil war, Addis Ababa can be a tough place to live. After the embassy went through an ordered departure of more than 300 staff and family members in November 2021, its threeperson Community Liaison Office was reduced to zero, leaving the remaining employees in desperate need of morale boosting. Retired British diplomat and U.S. Foreign Service family member David Baugh arrived at post in February 2022 and took on the challenge of rebuilding morale in the bi-mission community (U.S. Embassy Addis Ababa and the U.S. Mission to the African Union), offering a continuous stream of social events. He organized pub quiz nights and events at the Marine House, intentionally bringing different groups in the community together. He coordinated the restoration of the outdoor pizza oven on the compound and advocated for upgrading the premises. He worked with the Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Accessibility Council to host the post’s first-ever representational PRIDE event—no easy feat in a country where homosexuality is illegal. He led the Marine Ball committee in planning the first ball since COVID-19. He worked with the post facilities and the American commissary to resurface degrading tennis courts. Even after the CLO was fully staffed, Baugh continued to volunteer, co-hosting a Halloween event, the Regional Security Office’s community preparedness day, Thanksgiving, a winter holiday party, Take Your Child to Work day, and a thank-you event for embassy social sponsors. He played a pivotal role in organizing post’s first post- pandemic Independence Day event in 2022, an event for 400 guests planned and executed within six weeks. The following year, Baugh encouraged the embassy to plan an even bigger bash, and the embassy welcomed almost 1,000 guests to an early Independence Day celebration. Baugh set post records in Erin Cederlind serving ice cream at a poolside event. David Baugh.
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