Recognizing Success at IESC
June 8, 2016
Around the World, Our Volunteers and Staff Recognized for Service, Dedication, and Achievements
IESC’s success would not be possible without our people. Each year, we recognize those who have gone above and beyond their job descriptions’those who, through their service and dedication, have truly made an impact on the lives and livelihoods of individuals around the world. This May, IESC presented its annual awards at two ceremonies in Washington, DC, and Kabul, Afghanistan. Two volunteers and three staff members were recognized.
Frank Pace Award
Volunteers have been a critical part of IESC’s mission for 52 years. The Frank Pace Award, named for one of IESC’s founders, is awarded each year to a volunteer expert who performed the most outstanding project in the previous year. This year, IESC is delighted to recognize Allyn Lamb for his work with IESC’s Farmer-to-Farmer Program in Egypt in March 2015.
Lamb’s objective was to improve and increase agricultural lending in the country. He worked extensively with microfinance institutions and banks, helping them improve internal processes and increase lending capacity. After his departure, most of the organizations Lamb worked with reported that they were actively using what they learned from him or implementing his recommendations, a testament to his profound impact.
In fact, his first assignment was so successful that IESC asked Lamb to return for another assignment in Egypt just a few months later.
Lamb is a retired executive of the Senior Farm Credit system, and has extensive experience in finance, farm business management, business development, and credit. He has completed Farmer-to-Farmer assignments in three countries.
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Allyn Lamb during his Farmer-to-Farmer assignment in Egypt. |
David Rockefeller “Spirit of Service” Award
Established in 1992, IESC’s David Rockefeller Spirit of Service Award recognizes outstanding and continuing contributions to IESC. All members of the IESC family, including staff, consultants, chiefs of party, and volunteer experts are eligible for the award.
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Handley accepting his award at IESC’s ceremony in Washington, DC, along with his wife, Jacquelyn and IESC President Tom Miller. |
IESC presented the 2015 David Rockefeller Spirit of Service Award to Hal Handley, an IESC volunteer who has been an active member of the IESC family since 1999.
Handley has completed numerous volunteer assignments in countries all around the world, regularly participated in IESC home office retreats, contributed to IESC promotional material, and provided advisory services on multiple agribusiness-focused programs. During his more than 15 years of service, Handley’s outstanding work ethic, performance, and dedication have never wavered.
Tarek Nabhan “International Achievement” Award
Established in 2013, the Tarek Nabhan International Achievement Award recognizes staff members in the field who regularly go above and beyond their normal job responsibilities to achieve excellence. The award is named after Tarek Nabhan in recognition of his 31 years of service to IESC.
This year, IESC honored three staff members with our Assistance in Building Afghanistan by Developing Enterprises (ABADE) Program for their profound dedication and outstanding contributions: Tarana Amini, Haroon Habibi, and Ulfat Yousafzai.
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Tarek Nabhan award winners pose with IESC President and CEO Tom Miller at their award ceremony in Kabul, Afghanistan. (From left to right: Haroon Habibi, Ulfat Yousafzai, Tom Miller, Tarana Amini) |
Tarana Amini serves as ABADE’s human resources manager. Amini takes great care in managing the program’s field-based human resources files, and ensures that ABADE’s practices are fully compliant with IESC and ABADE’s established policies and procedures, as well as with Afghan law. This past year, she took on the added responsibility of managing the program’s vetting process’an important role that requires a strong eye for detail and a lot of direct correspondence with USAID. Amini has thrived in the role, quickly processing and meticulously maintaining the vetting files, making things easier for her colleagues.
Amini is also an inspiration to many. As a woman in Afghanistan, she has been threatened and harassed, but refuses to be intimidated, or tolerate even a hint of sexism. For this, her colleagues believe that she worthy of the highest praise and recognition.
Haroon Habibi is ABADE’s operations manager and is well-respected by his colleagues for his honesty, loyalty to his team, dedication to his work, and his extraordinary attention to detail. This past year, when Habibi was tasked with the enormous responsibility of procuring equipment for ABADE’s investment partners (local Afghan businesses), he rose to the occasion and performed phenomenally. While the program aimed to purchase $250,000 worth of equipment locally, Habibi far exceeded that number, sourcing more than $5 million of equipment from local companies. Thanks to Habibi’s contributions, ABADE is a stronger program and its impact on the local economy is greater.
Ulfat Yousafzai is one of ABADE’s technical leaders. At a time when many expats were leaving the program, Yousafzai willingly took on several important tasks in addition to his regular work. In three months, he finalized and packaged 32 investment partnership applications. He also coordinated and managed 18 training activities with more than 600 participants. To make this happen, Yousafzai frequently worked overtime, coordinating with staff in three different regions, and handling numerous last-minute requests.
IESC congratulates all of this year’s award winners. For more than half a century, we have helped raise living standards, create jobs, and grow businesses around the world thanks to the support of our hardworking, talented, and dedicated staff and volunteers.