Nancy Powell of Lewes receives national diplomacy award

The American Foreign Service Association presented its prestigious award for Lifetime Contributions to American Diplomacy to Delawarean Nancy J. Powell at a June 20 ceremony at the Department of State. The award honors those who have made extraordinary contributions to diplomacy over a period of many years.

Previous recipients of this award include President George H.W. Bush; secretaries of state George Shultz, Lawrence Eagleburger and Cyrus Vance; senators Richard Lugar and Sam Nunn; Congressman Lee Hamilton; and ambassadors Thomas Pickering, Ruth Davis and Bruce Laingen.

Now a Lewes resident, Powell is being recognized for her many years of exemplary service to the United States, and for her continued efforts to better the foreign service since her retirement in 2014. Throughout her distinguished career, Powell served as U.S. ambassador to Uganda, Ghana, Pakistan, Nepal and India, as well as in leadership positions in Washington including deputy assistant secretary for Africa and director general of the foreign service.

Powell's dedicated service was recognized with both the Arnold L. Raphel Memorial Award and a Homeland Security and Law Enforcement Samuel J. Heyman Service to America Medal. Following her retirement in 2014, Powell coordinated the U.S. response to the Ebola virus, while still managing to mentor countless colleagues on their own lives and careers in the foreign service.