Awards for Public Diplomacy Leadership Announced
Two senior officers in the U.S. Department of State have been chosen as the first recipients of awards for Public Diplomacy leadership.The Public Diplomacy Council of America (PDCA) has named U.S. Ambassador to Chile Bernadette M. Meehan and Deputy Assistant Secretary of State Camille P. Dawson as 2024 recipients of its Awards for Public Diplomacy Leadership by Senior Officers.
Ambassador Meehan was recognized for her leadership of the U.S. celebration of the bicentennial of U.S.-Chile relations and the response to the 50th anniversary of the Pinochet coup that derailed democracy in the country for 30 years. PDCA noted that Meehan guided a public diplomacy strategy that cut across all U.S. agencies represented at the mission in Santiago.
Deputy Assistant Secretary of State Dawson was recognized for integrating public diplomacy strategies across the range of foreign policy objectives in
support of the U.S. Indo-Pacific strategy. PDCA noted that Dawson also built effective partnerships between the State Department and DOD military commands, leading to better PD coordination.PDCA President Joel Fischman praised the two recipients. “They represent the terrific leaders the State Department has attracted to guide the U.S. effort to help foreign audiences understand U.S. society and values and its foreign policy goals. Their leadership and use of the tools needed to explain our country ensure that our national security interests are front-and-center in all aspects of the work of America’s diplomats,” according to Fischman.
PDCA is a nonprofit association of practitioners and scholars that promotes excellence in the professional practice, academic study, and advocacy for public diplomacy. Its 500 members are drawn from U.S. Foreign Service Officers, scholars, and other practitioners.
The awards were created to recognize individuals in the Department of State who provide broad leadership in the area of public diplomacy. PDCA was especially interested recognizing individuals who lead whole-of-government efforts to advance U.S. national interests.
Meehan and Dawson will be recognized at a webinar later this year.
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