Awardees

As Deputy Director of the Office of Citizen Exchanges, Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs, Matthew McMahon uses his skills, experience, cross-cultural understanding and creativity, combined with his patience and wisdom, to lead teams to success. Throughout his career, Matt has worked extremely well with Posts and regional bureaus, modeling how ECA civil service managers contribute subject matter expertise, management experience, and broad regional awareness as well as knowledge of relevant domestic issues and constituencies, to support and collaborate with colleagues at Posts to achieve the Department’s foreign policy goals.

The 2021 Ilchman-Richardson Award went to Ms. Antoinette (Toni) Bowser, Director of Information Technology (IT) at the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs (ECA).Toni’s vision and tenacity have made ECA’s mission possible, especially during the pandemic shift to telework and virtual-programming, supporting posts, partners and participants. Her principled leadership resulted in Vision21, a multi-year project that enhanced the Bureau’s strategic and budget planning, outcomes assessment, and capability for reporting to Congress, the Executive branch leadership, regional bureau colleagues, and other stakeholders. Toni’s success exemplifies the legacy behind the Ilchman-Richardson award.

The 2020 Ilchman-Richardson Award went to the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs Director of Academic Exchange Programs, Mary Kirk. Mary and her team have extended the breadth of the Fulbright Program’s outreach and selection processes and reinforced their connection to foreign policy priorities, while ensuring the health, safety and productivity of the exchange experience for all Fulbrighters. Under her leadership, her team built alumni and partner networks and reinvigorated the Fulbright US scholar program, while strengthening financial accountability and management practices and expanding training and resource materials for ECA staff, Posts and Fulbright commissions. She is an undisputed master of meeting the daunting complexities and competing demands involved in the budgetary intricacies of extensive world travel for negotiations, mentoring and oversight.  When the coronavirus pandemic hit, Mary led her staff to quickly pivot to address the many unique issues that arose within exchange policies and procedures in a virtual environment. She embodies the Roth/Ilchman/Richardson legacy through her tireless dedication and creative, insightful approaches as a cultural diplomacy leader and manager.

In over ten years of service as ECA’s Deputy Director and Director of Budget and Finance, Yolanda has ensured that the Department of State accomplishes its cultural diplomacy mission in the most cost-effective manner. With her all-encompassing knowledge of the Bureau’s operations, Yolanda informs important financial decisions that ensure the long-term success of ECA’s cultural and educational programs. Beyond her immense technical knowledge, she has the ability to translate policy and finances into genuine people-to-people connections. Serving as a leader and mentor to her colleagues, is what truly sets Yolanda apart and makes her indispensable to the Bureau and its mission.

With her cultural insights, inspiring leadership and deep compassion, Sana Abed-Kotob has significantly and substantially advanced US cultural diplomacy. As the chief of ECA’s largest division, the Office of International Visitors, Sana manages projects that impact thousands of people around the world each year. Despite the scope of her position, Sana does not lose sight of individual needs, as she guides, mentors and inspires ECA staff and partners. Sana’s efforts have made operations more efficient, improved inter-agency cooperation and expanded public-private contributions to advancing cultural and educational exchanges. It is no exaggeration to say that every US diplomatic post in the world has benefited from Sana’s expertise in cultural diplomacy programming.

Rick’s expertise and deep commitment to excellence in the conduct of cultural and public diplomacy have inspired countless ECA and State Department colleagues. Through a career spanning four decades, he has always focused on relationships with people—predicated on the respectful exchange of ideas and experiences, and reflecting the founding premise and highest aspirations of US cultural diplomacy.

In recognition of contributions over a distinguished 23-year career with the United States Information Agency (USIA) and the Department of State as Attorney-Advisor for Public Diplomacy in the Office of the Legal Advisor, providing consistently valuable and insightful advice in a time when the number and complexity of issues are growing steadily, Lorie Nierenberg was awarded the Ilchman-Richardson award. Her own experience as an exchange student in Germany has informed her guidance and the insights essential to producing Fulbright agreements that support US policy goals and meet bilateral priorities. In the 1990s, she played a central role in resolving the legal ramifications of merging USIA into State; this was an achievement of immeasurable importance, as her efforts created the structure that supports all the work now done by ECA every day. In 2022, Lorie Nierenberg was named the winner of the U.S. State Department’s Edward R Murrow for excellence in Public Diplomacy, the highest award in public diplomacy.

In recognition of 27 years of dedication to the goals of US cultural diplomacy. The grants process he oversees—as Division Chief of the Program Management Branch in the Executive Office of ECA/IIP—is the engine that powers ECA work and programs. He is honored for his intense commitment to the ECA mission, his mastery of complex management processes and his devotion to serving and helping his colleagues.

In recognition of her work as a Senior Program Officer in the Office of English Language Programs of the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs. In particular, Walters won the award for invigorating and modernizing English language programs by recruiting and supporting top English Language Fellows and English Teaching Assistants who serve abroad, and for her cultural sensitivity, integrity and generosity. Walters died soon after receiving this award; in her memory, the Roth Foundation contributed her prize to her daughter’s education fund. (Julia Walters Obituary)