AFSA NEWS 64 DECEMBER 2024 | THE FOREIGN SERVICE JOURNAL to champion innovation, teamwork, and inclusivity as we shape the future of our department.” In addition, Diana H. Trinh, the executive office manager at the U.S. consulate general in Ho Chi Minh City, was recognized as the honorable mention for the 2024 Delavan Award for her leadership in community building, DEIA initiatives, and professional mentorship. 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, initiative, or imagination in assisting the families of Americans serving at an overseas post. The 2024 award was presented jointly to Christophe J. Paccard and Sherri Zimmermann for their exceptional leadership and service in the aftermath of the Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas terrorist attack on Israel. In her acceptance speech, Zimmermann emphasized the critical role of CLOs: “Our job is to be directly responsible for driving and maintaining the morale and quality of life for the diplomatic staff, their families, and the embassy community as a whole.” Paccard expressed gratitude to the Global Community Liaison Office (GCLO) for their support and acknowledged the personal significance of the award: “Coming from a small village in France, I never imagined that one day I’d be accepting such a prestigious award. This moment truly fulfills my American dream. “Let’s continue to lift each other up and stay strong, no matter what challenges come our way.” The Mark Palmer Award for the Advancement of Democracy is open to all Foreign Service members from any of the foreign affairs agencies, especially early- to mid-career level, who promoted American policies focused on advancing democracy, freedom, and governance through bold, exemplary, imaginative, and effective efforts. Two recipients were selected this year: Paul Estrada, for his work on the Ukraine desk at the onset of Russia’s full-scale invasion, and Mark Wilson, whose work was instrumental in ensuring a peaceful transition of power in Senegal amid regional instability. The awards were presented by Shiraz Mahyera. The Avis Bohlen Award honors the accomplishments of a Foreign Service family member whose relations with the American and local communities at post have done the most to advance the interests of the United States. The award was established by Pamela Harriman in 1982 and presented this year by Avis Bohlen. The 2024 award went to Cornell Overfield for his transformative work in Bishkek, where he launched the “Mishek Ui” (Cat Home) project. “The close relationship between civil society and U.S. embassy community members is invaluable. As they would say in the Kyrgyz Republic, ‘Two friends can go over one pass; two friendly nations will go over a thousand passes,’” Overfield said in his acceptance speech. The AFSA Post Representative of the Year Award is presented to an exemplary AFSA post representative who has demonstrated sustained and successful engagement with AFSA members at post and with post management to advance the strategic priorities of the association. The 2024 award was presented jointly to Dinah Zeltser-Winant and Anne Martin-Montgomery, AFSA representatives at the U.S. embassy in Bangkok, for their outstanding efforts in supporting AFSA’s mission at the largest embassy in the world. While Zeltser-Winant and Martin-Montgomery were not able to attend the ceremony, Martin-Montgomery’s nephew, Gavin Robey, had the following words to say on her behalf: “On behalf of my aunt, I would like to extend her thanks for the tireless support of her co-rep Dinah Zeltzer-Winant, James Yorke, Patrick Bradley, and the amazing AFSA staff. As a first-tour Foreign Service officer, she is honored to have the opportunity to serve her fellow FSOs at U.S. Embassy Bangkok and looks forward to filling the role of post rep in her future assignments. ... This honor reflects the potential all AFSA reps have. She hopes to live up to that potential.” The AFSA Achievement and Contributions to the Association Award recognizes an active-duty or retired AFSA member from any of the foreign affairs agencies who has made a significant (nonmonetary) contribution to the association in its role as either a professional association or a labor union. The AFSA president presented the award to Harry Kopp in recognition of his unparalleled contributions to chronicling and preserving the legacy of both the Foreign Service and AFSA. In his acceptance remarks, Kopp candidly reflected on his journey with AFSA, saying: “I could say as politicians do that I’m humbled by this award, but I’m not. I’m really kind of proud and not ashamed to say so.” A recording of the event is available at https://afsa.org/videos. n
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