42 DECEMBER 2024 | THE FOREIGN SERVICE JOURNAL FBI supervisory special agent at both posts. Before moving overseas, Zimmermann worked as a community engagement coordinator for a private nonprofit in Charlotte, North Carolina. Prior to that she worked as coordinator of volunteer services for a nonprofit in the Jewish community. A graduate of Texas A&M University and Troy State University, she holds both a bachelor’s in speech communication and a master’s in counseling and human development. She felt that serving as CLO epitomized her education and experience and is grateful for having had the opportunity. For Paccard, the award is the culmination of years of service and dedication to the embassy community. He was born and raised in a small village in the French Alps. After earning a BA in hospitality, he moved to London in 1997 to improve his English and pursue his career. By 2000 he had relocated to New York, where he worked in the luxury hotel industry. In 2001 Paccard moved to Washington, D.C., and eventually received sponsorship for a green card. He became a permanent resident in 2012 and, two years later, a U.S. citizen. During this time, Paccard joined his husband, a Foreign Service officer, on assignment in Caracas, where Paccard began his first of four tours as a CLO. He and his spouse have served in Reykjavík, Algiers, Jerusalem, and Port Louis, Mauritius, where he worked as the regional security office manager. Now back in Washington, Paccard works in the Office of the Chief of Protocol, a position that blends his extensive experience in the Foreign Service community with his hospitality expertise. Throughout his career, Paccard’s focus has always been on serving others and lifting the spirits of those around him, which is at the heart of the work he does. “We worked around the clock, cared for our community, and cared for each other,” he says. “This award is a profound honor, and I’m grateful to be receiving it alongside Sherri.” The contributions Sherri Zimmermann and Christophe J. Paccard made to their community were nothing short of heroic. Their leadership and teamwork exemplify the very spirit of the M. Juanita Guess Award, honoring community liaison office coordinators who go above and beyond in times of need. Their work demonstrates what it means to lead with empathy, dedication, and a sense of service. Avis Bohlen Award for a Foreign Service Family Member Cornell Overfield From Stray Cats to Civil Society The 2024 Avis Bohlen Award, which honors family members of Foreign Service employees whose efforts advance U.S. interests abroad, has been awarded to Cornell Overfield for his transformative work in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan. Overfield’s initiative, the “Mishek Ui” (Cat Home) project, was the first of its kind in the Central Asian capital, addressing the city’s growing stray cat population through humane, sustainable methods. Overfield’s journey as a Foreign Service family member began in 2021, though he also spent part of his childhood at U.S. embassies in Abuja and Gaborone as the child of a U.S. Army foreign area officer. His first assigment with his wife, Cultural Affairs Officer Miranda Lupion, brought him to Bishkek, where he quickly immersed himself in the local culture. In addition to his professional work as a research analyst for the Center for Naval Analyses, with articles published in Foreign Policy and Lawfare on the law of the sea and national strategy, Overfield spent his time volunteering with local animal rescue groups. Sherri Zimmermann on a CLO trip at the Dome of the Rock in Jerusalem. Cornell Overfield Sherri Zimmermann
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy ODIyMDU=