Public Diplomacy Achievement Award Recipients

(Update: April 20, 2021) The Public Diplomacy Achievement Awards are given each year to professionals in government agencies or non-government organizations whose work makes a difference in projecting American policies, ideas, and culture to the rest of the world. Learn more about how the awards are supported in part by private donations.

2021

Public Affairs Section, U.S. Consulate General Hong Kong & Macau
Sohini Das, Public Engagement Specialist, U.S. Consulate General Kolkata
Public Affairs Section, U.S. Embassy Algiers
Allyson Hamilton-McIntire, Assistant Information Officer, U.S. Embassy Mexico City

2020

Zennia Paganini, Public Affairs Officer, Yemen Affairs Unit (based at Embassy Riyadh, Saudi Arabia)
Public Affairs Section, Embassy Luanda, Angola
Meghan Luckett, Assistant Public Affairs Officer, Embassy Vilnius, Lithuania
Riad Yazbeck, Cultural Affairs Specialist, Embassy Beirut, Lebanon

2019

Natella Svistunova, Public Affairs Officer, Embassy Belmopan, Belize
Debra Toribiong, Public Diplomacy Specialist, Embassy Koror, Palau
Chris Hodges, Public Affairs Officer, Consulate Jerusalem (now the Palestinian Affairs Unit, Embassy Jerusalem, Israel)
Niles Cole, Cultural Affairs Officer, Embassy Kampala, Uganda

2018
Mark Bosse, Assistant Information Officer, U.S. Embassy Baghdad
Shim Jai Ok, Executive Director of the Korean-American Educational (Fulbright) Commission
Adrienne Bory, Information Officer, U.S. Embassy Panama
Public Affairs Section, U.S. Embassy Bangkok

2017
Dolores Prin, U.S. Consulate General Naha, Okinawa
Justen Thomas, Deputy Public Affairs Officer, U.S. Embassy Havana
Lydia Barraza, Miami Media Hub Director
Jay Raman, Public Affairs Officer, U.S. Embassy Phnom Penh
Alia Alkhraisha, Educational Adviser, U.E. Embassy Dubai

2016
Tanya Brothen, Assistant Information Officer, U.S. Embassy Kabul
Stephen Ibelli, Public Affairs Officer, Libya External Office, based in Tunis
Brenda Soya, Public Affairs Officer, U.S. Embassy Ouagadougou
Milica Raskovic and Marko Bumbic, Program Coordinators, American Corner in Novi Sad, Serbia

2015
Jennifer Zimdahl Galt, Principal Officer, U.S. Consulate General Guangzhou, People’s Republic of China
Said [full name and position witheld], Afghanistan
Angela Palazzolo, Trade Officer, Political and Economic Section, U.S. Embassy Warsaw, Poland
Group Award:
Kimberly Phelan-Royston, Public Affairs Officer, U.S. Embassy Conakry, Guinea
Emily Green, Assistant Public Affairs Officer, U.S. Embassy Conakry, Guinea
Hollyn Green, Public Affairs Officer, U.S. Embassy Freetown, Sierra Leone
Sally Hodgson, Public Affairs Officer, U.S. Embassy Monrovia, Liberia
Molly Lynn Westrate, Deputy Public Affairs Officer, U.S. Embassy Monrovia, Liberia

2014
Attia Nasar, International Information Program, Department of State
Ajani Husbands, Public Affairs Officer, Islamabad, Pakistan
Rachel Goldberg, The Phillips Collection
Ashley White, Public Affairs Officer, Malabo, Equatorial Guinea
Naimeh Hadidi, Cultural Affairs Specialist, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
Morrison Mkhonta, Information Resource Center Director, Mbabane, Swaziland

2013
Public Affairs Section, American Consulate Peshawar, Pakistan
Nini Forino, Public Diplomacy Officer for Korean Affairs and Yeosu Expo coordinator
Tashawna Bethea, Public Affairs Officer, Algiers

2012
Heather Eaton, Public Affairs Officer, U.S. Consulate General, Naha, Okinawa, Japan
Sharon Hudson-Dean, Counselor for Public Affairs, U.S. Embassy Harare, Zimbabwe
Jean Manes, Director of Resources, Office of Policy, Planning and Resources

2011
Christopher Teal, Public Affairs Officer and Deputy Consul-General, Guadalajara, Mexico
Joann Lockard, Public Affairs Officer, U.S. Embassy in Kampala, Uganda
Albina Burashnikova, Nina Afanasyeva and Arzigul Kochkarova, American Corner Managers in Turkmenistan
Joseph Zilligen and Carla Benini, public diplomacy desk officers, Bureau of South and Central Asian Affairs

2010
Public Diplomacy Section, N’djamena, Chad
Alistair Baskey, Assistant Cultural Affairs Officer and America House Director, East Jerusalem
Tom Cooney, Public Affairs Officer, Shanghai
Aaron David Snipe, Public Diplomacy Officer, Provincial Reconstruction Team, Muthanna Province, Iraq

2009
Ryan Rowlands, Public Affairs Officer and Amy Storrow, Assistant Public Affairs Officer, Skopje, Macedonia
Tristram Perry, Assistant Information Officer for Broadcast Media, Jakarta, Indonesia
Lori Brutten, George Clack and David Shelby of State Department’s Democracy Video Challenge Team

2008
Jonathan Henick, Public Affairs Officer, Baku, Azerbaijan
Foreign Service National Staff, Rangoon, Burma (Myanmar)
Nicholas Papp, Cultural Affairs Officer and American Center Director, Taipei, Taiwan

2005
Public Affairs Section Brasilia, Brazil
Wendy Lyle, ConGen Guangzhou

2003
Victoria Sloan and Kaspars Ruklis, American Embassy Riga

2002
Eric Johnson and Jonathan Mennuti, American Embassy Moscow

2001
Gaston Lacombe, Educational Advisor, Riga
Karuna Singh, ConGen Calcutta

1999
USIS Dar es Salaam and USIS Nairobi

1998
USIS Luanda
USIS Ashgabat/USIS Dushanbe/RPO/NIS/Goble

1996
USIS Port au Prince
I/GEU Team, Department of State

1995
USIS Amman

1994
USIS Buenos Aires

1993
Foreign Service National Staff, USIS Rangoon

 

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