USAID ALUMNI ASSOCIATION ANNUAL AWARDS PROGRAM PRESENTATION AT ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING October 25, 2019 OPENING COMMENTS Good afternoon. I’m Bette Cook, chair of the UAA Awards Committee, which allows me the distinct pleasure of announcing this year’s award winners. Every year since the inception in 2014 of the Alumni of the Year awards program, the USAID Alumni Association has recognized and celebrated USAID alumni who have chosen new paths to provide services to their communities and make lasting contributions to others, both at home and abroad. This year’s winners will be awarded a handsome world table clock by Howard Miller that displays an engraved plaque with the winner’s name and the award. Before announcing this year’s winners, I want to thank the Awards Committee members who devoted much time and contemplation to this rewarding task: Larry Garber, Tom Nicastro, Margaret Healey [not present] , Carol Peasley, Nancy Pielemeier, and Elzadia Washington [not present] , as well as Carol Dabbs, an ex- officio member. Thank you. And equally important, our special thanks to the people who made the time and effort to nominate accomplished UAA members for these awards. They presented the Awards Committee with a difficult but welcomed challenge to choose among a number of excellent nominees. I believe – no, I’ll be bold – I know you will agree the Awards Committee has made good selections of two very worthy winners. The practice in previous years has been to present two winners each year – one for domestic service and one for international service. This year the activities of our two winners were so evenly dedicated to activities both at home and abroad that the Committee chose to grant an award to each winner in both domestic and international services.
USAID ALUMNI OF THE YEAR 2019 I’m pleased to announce the winners of the USAID Alumni of the Year for 2019 in Domestic and International Services: Mary Lewellen and Larry Heilman. Would you both please join me on stage and have a seat while I share with everyone a little of your backgrounds and why you are being honored today. Display Lewellen and Heilman photos on screen as they come to stage, shake hands, take seats, and first award citation is read. ] First, I will highlight some of Mary Lewellen’s activities since retirement. You can read more about her service, however, in the profile that will be included in next month’s UAA newsletter and posted on our website. Mary Lewellen For over 42 years, Mary Lewellen has repeatedly demonstrated a keen interest and high level of competence in all aspects of international development and foreign policy during her 26-year USAID career from 1977 to 2003 and during her 16- year retirement to date. While serving as USAID Director in Ethiopia, she faced serious medical challenges, but neither cancer surgery followed by chemotherapy and a detached retina have slowed her down. Since retirement, Mary has continued to serve actively in several major ways. First, Mary has excelled in Academic Service. For the past fourteen years, she has taught college classes at Sierra Nevada College, is the chairperson of International Studies and International Business, and guest lectures in international development and inter-discipline studies. Her students say she motivates and inspires with her international lessons learned from serving abroad with USAID. The college students voted her the “Outstanding Faculty Member” in 2015. The college allows her husband, Ted Morse who is also a USAID alum, to substitute in Mary’s classes so she can continue to serve abroad.
Second, Mary’s has organized annual Student Service and Learning Trips to Africa. For the last seven years, Mary has done the year-long planning with African partners to organize and lead 25-30 American college students to do service and learning for three weeks in the rural areas of South Africa. Students cover their own expenses. However, Mary invariably donates funds or frequent flyer miles to enable under-privileged students to make the trips and serve by helping expand and renovate schools, an HIV clinic, and school and community vegetable gardens. Mary personally provides funds for hundreds of children’s books, suitcases full of schools supplies and cash for renovation supplies every year. Mary and Ted donated funds to rebuild sports facilities. Mary has also structured college classes in South Africa for the American students of Sierra Nevada College. The students receive academic credit while simultaneously doing their daily work and service schedule and participating in an African culture program put on by a local troupe. Unfailingly, the American students return to the United States openly stating, “This is a life-changing experience.” Lastly, I note that every year since retirement from USAID, Mary has continued to serve in USAID and to train and mentor USAID staff around the world. She has been contracted to serve in various senior positions in Southern Africa. As of this year, Mary completed her 17 th training assignment in Afghanistan, and in August, she provided training in USAID Thailand and Kabul. The importance of training to help the U.S. Government “improve its ability to prepare for, design, execute, monitor and evaluate stabilization missions” in Afghanistan was stressed in the May 2018 report by the Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction. Mary’s service and training have greatly supported this effort. Mary Lewellen is granted the UAA Alumna of the Year Award for 2019 based on her many years of continuous dedicated service and personal donations to U.S. students and overseas schools and communities, a true inspiration to us all. Congratulations, Mary. Please accept this award by the UAA for your extraordinary domestic and international services. [ Present award and shake hands . Pause for applause .] Would you like to say a few words? MARY LEWELLEN ACCEPTANCE SPEECH [ Mary speaks for 2 minutes. ] [ Pause for applause and photo. ] Thank you, Mary. Please have a seat here on stage as we move to our next award.
SECOND USAID ALUMNUS OF THE YEAR 2019 It is a great pleasure to announce that Larry Heilman is granted the USAID Alumnus of the Year for 2019 in both Domestic and International Service. Larry Heilman Throughout nearly 30 years of retirement, Larry has combined the same qualities of unrelenting energy, passion, and intellectual curiosity in promoting contributions to his community which were manifest during his 30 years working in international development. The results have been impressive and include strengthening Rotary International programs around the world; improving local government in Chevy Chase Village; boosting Latin American studies and research at local universities and the Smithsonian; and working with Wounded Warriors at Walter Reed Hospital. Here are highlights of Larry’s contributions in his many areas of service. You will also want to read his profile in the UAA’s November newsletter and on our website. First, with Rotary International, Larry has been an active member of Rotary for the past thirty years, leading efforts to expand Rotary’s programs in domestic and international community development and disaster assistance. As the Director of the International Service Lane supporting 60 clubs in the Washington area, Larry provided training on the design, implementation and monitoring of Rotary-funded projects. As President of the Friendship Heights Rotary Club, he led efforts to establish and manage a foundation providing community development grants. He also played a lead role in strengthening the foundations for other Rotary clubs in the region that were interested in humanitarian assistance and development. His efforts through Rotary have had enormous impact in countries worldwide. In recognition of his work, Larry has received awards for leadership from three different Rotary Clubs—Metro Bethesda, Friendship Heights Bethesda, and San Pedro Sula, Honduras. Second, for the Chevy Chase Village Local Government in a multiplicity of roles - - including elected member of the Board of Managers, Chair of the Personnel Committee, Treasurer, member of the of the Budget Committee, member of the Audit Committee, Chair of the Public Safety and Energy and Environment
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