IESC Announces Tarek Nabhan International Achievement Award Winner – Raquel Travieso
October 29, 2021
Every year, IESC recognizes individuals whose dedication and service have truly made an impact on the lives and livelihoods of people around the world. The Tarek Nabhan International Achievement Award was established in 2013 to recognize staff members in the field who go above and beyond their normal job responsibilities to achieve excellence. The award is named after Tarek Nabhan, in honor of his 31 years of service to IESC.
For 2020, IESC honored Raquel Travieso, the Grants and Procurement Specialist for the USDA-funded Exporting Quality (EQ) program in the Dominican Republic, as the Tarek Nabhan International Achievement Award winner.
Since joining the Exporting Quality team in 2016, Raquel has built a network of potential grantees eligible to obtain equipment to expand their businesses. She made field visits to assess their needs and supported them through the grant application process, from creating realistic budgets to navigating complex certification requirements. As COVID-19 disrupted workplace norms, Raquel was responsible for closing out the majority of 
program grants, an arduous and multi-stage process made more difficult given new curfews, travel restrictions, and limited face-to-face interaction. Having cultivated relationships with businesses over the years, Raquel worked hard, utilizing online communication methods to successfully close out 138 grants, each of which required detailed attention, documentation, review, and close collaboration with partners. Shortly after the program’s extension, Raquel swiftly prepared 12 new grant agreements in a record week and a half. With her strong work ethic, unwavering commitment, and tireless dedication to achieve results for partners during a very challenging year, Raquel truly personified excellence in 2020.
