40 DECEMBER 2024 | THE FOREIGN SERVICE JOURNAL As the sole OMS at the U.S. consulate general in Ho Chi Minh City for the past four years, Trinh has had the unique opportunity to build relationships with staff across post, mentor 20 first- and second-tour (FAST) officers, and guide senior officers when they take on acting roles in the executive office. She has also led essential training sessions on administrative procedures, supported postwide committees, and contributed to community events. “I love being an office management specialist!” Trinh says. “Most of us get the opportunity to work in a front office during our first tour, and we are entrusted with this responsibility because we are hired with the skills, knowledge, and abilities to make a significant positive impact at our posts. Our specialty is making the office run effectively and efficiently. For me, this includes paying attention to morale and doing what I can to make sure our workplace is an inclusive environment where staff thrive.” As co-chair of the post’s DEIA Council, she won the inaugural Bureau of East Asian and Pacific Affairs’ Secretary Colin L. Powell DEIA Award in 2023 for her outstanding work leading the popular DEIA Buddy Program, which paired American and Vietnamese staff to promote cultural understanding and create a respectful work environment. After passing on her leadership role, Trinh has remained an active advocate, organizing Locally Employed Staff Appreciation Day and ensuring that all team members are recognized for their contributions. Mission Vietnam had a particularly demanding year, with an influx of visitors and a visit by President Joe Biden to mark a strengthening of U.S.-Vietnam relations. Trinh’s ability to keep the consulate running smoothly during such high-profile events exemplifies her organizational skills, leadership, and proactive approach. She led the consulate’s transition to a cloud-based document management system, reducing issues with version control and promoting collaboration across the team. Her success in Ho Chi Minh City even inspired U.S. Embassy Hanoi to adopt a similar system. Trinh’s efforts have gone beyond her OMS responsibilities. Her mentorship has been a driving force behind the success of many at the consulate, with colleagues—from newly hired officers to acting consul generals—regularly seeking her counsel. “I am delighted to have been selected as an honorable mention for the 2024 Nelson B. Delavan Award. It’s extremely rewarding to be recognized for the work we OMSes do to improve our workplaces,” Trinh says. Trinh joined the State Department Foreign Service in 2016. She has also served at the U.S. Mission to the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development in Paris and at U.S. Embassy Addis Ababa. M. Juanita Guess Award for a Community Liaison Office Coordinator Christophe J. Paccard and Sherri Zimmermann Excellence in Crisis Leadership The 2024 M. Juanita Guess Award honors two outstanding community liaison office coordinators (CLOs), Foreign Service family members Sherri Zimmermann in Tel Aviv and Christophe J. Paccard in Jerusalem, for their exceptional leadership, dedication, and service during the aftermath of the Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas terrorist attack on Israel. Their remarkable coordination and care in one of the most difficult periods in recent history brought essential relief to their embassy communities, both in Israel and abroad. Zimmermann recalls the fear and confusion of that morning. “The sirens began at around 6:30 a.m.,” she remembers. “My husband and I grabbed our go-bags and headed to the shelter, uncertain of what was happening.” The days blurred together as she and her team worked around the clock, offering emotional support, organizing town halls, and ensuring that the embassy Diana Trinh (in red) at the U.S. Consulate General booth at the HCMC Lunar New Year Flower Festival. Christophe J. Paccard
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