As we approach our 40th anniversary in 2027, we are excited to share that the Roth Foundation has been growing a lot, in terms of both our programs and our board. We thought it might be interesting for you to “meet” the board members who make it all happen. So, welcome to our fourth Board Member Spotlight, on Amy Forest!
I first learned of the Lois Roth Award for Excellence in Cultural Diplomacy soon after I began my government career. (First granted in 1990, the Lois Roth Award was the first of the Roth Foundation’s Cultural Diplomacy Awards. In 2008, it would be earmarked for Foreign Service Officers and joined by the Ilchman-Richardson Award, designated for a member of the ECA staff working in Washington. In 2013 and 2021, respectively, the Foundation would institute the Gill Jacot-Guillarmod and Jodie Lewinsohn Awards for exceptional locally employed staff.) At the time, I worked on the International Visitor Leadership Program (IVLP) in the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs (ECA) at the U.S. Information Agency.
When my branch colleagues and I learned that we could nominate someone for the Lois Roth Award, we immediately recognized that our branch chief, Nan Bell, would be an excellent candidate. We nominated her for her leadership in creating a host of IVLP programs, in response to emerging opportunities following the fall of the Berlin Wall. To our great delight, she was selected as the first recipient of the Lois Roth Award. From that point forward, I have held the award in especially high regard and have looked forward, each year, to the announcement of the winners at the ECA awards ceremony.
During my career in ECA—at USIA and, subsequently, at the State Department—I worked on a wide range of programs. Through IVLP, I helped build long-term relationships between Americans and international leaders in government, business, academia, and other fields. Through EducationUSA, I worked to promote US higher education to students. With immersive high school exchange programs—such as the Future Leaders Exchange (FLEX) and the Congress-Bundestag Youth Exchange (CBYX)—I worked to engage youth in the United States and many other countries. These programs serve as both educational and diplomatic tools, preparing students for global citizenship while strengthening US relationships worldwide. In every capacity, I had the great fortune to witness the exceptional efforts of locally employed staff at embassies abroad, Foreign Service Officers in Washington and overseas, and my ECA colleagues at our DC headquarters. I have seen firsthand the tremendous talent, dedication, and commitment to public service represented across these groups.
Following my retirement from the State Department, I was invited to assist in the work of the Foundation. As a board member, I have the great honor of helping to bring well-deserved recognition to these dedicated individuals and outstanding contributions to building trust, cooperation, peace, and stability, while fostering cultural connections between the United States and the rest of the world. My involvement with the Foundation focuses on two primary areas: I assist Vice-Chair Anne Barbaro in preparing for the annual Cultural Diplomacy Awards, conducted in partnership with ECA, and our ensuing luncheon; and I manage a portion of the Foundation’s Project Support Grants. These grants provide supplementary support to Fulbrighters engaged in the U.S. and overseas in humanities, arts and social science projects—individuals I view as trailblazers in advancing our shared vision of a more harmonious world.
Our country is facing significant challenges, both at home and on the global stage. There has never been a more important moment to recognize and celebrate those who dedicate themselves to public diplomacy and to the pursuit of a more just and peaceful world.
