Members and supporters of the Foreign Service filled the prestigious Benjamin Franklin Room for the AAFSW volunteer awards program on Nov. 13. The annual ceremony once again highlighted the spirit of family member volunteerism that is so vibrant among our mission communities abroad. We were honored to recognize the volunteer work of seven outstanding individuals who exemplify that spirit.

The ceremony recognized winners of the Secretary of State Award for Outstanding Volunteerism Abroad (SOSA), The Eleanor Dodson Tragen Award, the Lesley Dorman Award, and the Champions of Career Enhancement for EFMs (CCE-EFM) Award. We were privileged to have White House Cabinet Secretary Evan Ryan and Director General Marcia Bernicat speak and present the awards. 

SOSA is awarded to outstanding volunteer service performed overseas. The  SOSA winners for 2024 are Andrew Richley (EUR), Connie Pearson (NEA), Kristen Factor (SCA) and Garrett Fraino (WHA). 

Andrew Richley established the Urbana Basta Podgorica Food Forest and served as its manager. The garden’s monthly food harvest has resulted in more than 250 crates of food being donated to local food banks and home delivery services.

Following the Oct. 7, 2023 terrorist attacks, Connie Pearson worked to organize lunches and dinners for overworked embassy staff as well as IDF soldiers and displaced Gazan families.  Connie’s extraordinary service also included providing traumatized students with school supplies, and assisting a local orphanage to purchase and renovate new facilities.

Kristen Factor’s dedication to empowering young girls through art and education has left an indelible mark on the lives of those she’s touched. In Mumbai, Factor dedicated hundreds of hours, and her own funds, to provide art education to a group of 25 orphaned girls by building the program from scratch.

Garrett Fraino’s remarkable service to the impoverished favelas of Rio de Janeiro has made a significant impact in the lives of Brazilian youth. Through his work with the Mais Caminhos organization, he strengthened and restructured the organization while also providing extensive tutoring and coaching to the students. 

More details of the winners’ extraordinary volunteer efforts are highlighted on the AAFSW website here. 

SOSA honorable mentions for 2024 were awarded to Valerie Wendell and Joel McDonnell (AF), Thanh Kim (EAP), Sarah Berdugo (EUR), Jessica Baetjer (NEA), Stefanie Hendricks (SCA), and Susannah Holmes (WHA).

Following the presentation of the SOSA awards, DACOR president Angela Dickey presented the Eleanor Dodson Tragen Award. The Tragen Award is funded by an annual gift from Mr. Tragen and is administered by DACOR. It recognizes a member of the Foreign Service community who has effectively advocated for and enhanced the global rights and benefits of the Foreign Service family. This year’s recipient was Megan Kuhn. Megan’s distinctive contributions have markedly enriched the professional environment for eligible family members (EFMs) by launching the Parallel Professionals networking group in November 2020 and overseeing its transition to an official Employee Organization in 2023.

Past AAFSW president Patricia Linderman presented the Champions of Career Enhancement for EFMs Award. This award honors someone who has made exceptional efforts to promote employment and career development for Foreign Service family members. This year’s recipient was Joanna Parys. During her tenure as HR EPAP for Embassy Kinshasa, Joanna created a positive and welcoming atmosphere during a year of political turmoil, war, and disease outbreaks. Joanna’s creativity, advocacy, and dedication allowed the Mission to focus on strategic diplomatic efforts, knowing the Embassy community was cohesively supported by EFMs whose skills suited their roles.

Lara Center, another prior AAFSW president, awarded the Lesley Dorman Award to Jenny Kocher. The Lesley Dorman Award recognizes an AAFSW member who has performed outstanding service in all aspects of the organization. Since 2019, Jenny has demonstrated exceptional dedication and initiative in her efforts, making a significant impact on the lives of many EFMs in the Foreign Service community. Currently, Jenny continues to innovate and connect EFMs through her Virtual Connections monthly program, an online platform that is inclusive of all EFMs, regardless of their location.

These annual awards provide an opportunity for us to pause from the demanding work of diplomacy to recognize how EFM efforts contribute to our collective diplomatic efforts and remind us of the common humanity that binds embassy communities, our government, and our world.

You can see a gallery of photos from this event here.