2009 GSO OF THE YEAR

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 STATE 074064 SIPDIS E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: APER AMGT SUBJECT: 2009 GSO OF THE YEAR ¶1. The Bureau of Administration is pleased to announce the selection of Ann Granatino, General Services Officer at Embassy Algiers, as the recipient of this year's General Services Achievement Award. Ms. Granatino will receive a plaque signed by the Assistant Secretary for Administration and a cash award of $5,000. ¶2. Ms. Granatino was selected from an impressive field of 12 candidates, representing posts in five of the six geographic bureaus. The nominees were judged on the basis of the importance of their contributions in improving the efficiency, morale, and productivity of their missions; evidence of their leadership capabilities in planning, organizing, and/or directing specific programs; innovation and creativity in developing or improving systems for administering resources and effecting savings for the mission or U.S. government; and the complexity and/or environmental hardship affecting their achievements. ¶3. At posts overseas and in domestic offices, general services officers provide vital support to the people and programs of America's diplomacy. What was common to all of the nominations was that these GSOs, like so many others around the world, are doing exceptional work, often under trying circumstances, and that they are making a positive difference in the lives of employees and family members at their posts. By putting customers first and by building effective teams, they are improving services and winning high marks in ICASS customer satisfaction surveys. ¶4. In his nomination of Ann Granatino, DCM Thomas Daughton noted that due to a decade of drawdown, short tours, and a security situation that rarely allowed the Americans to leave the compound, Embassy operations were in dire need of an overhaul. After being fully inspected for the first time in over a decade, over 90% of the 65 formal recommendations by the IG addressed Management operations. Arriving just six weeks after the OIG left, Ann first had to handle the move into the New Embassy Compound and all the myriad growing pains associated with the NEC. She ensured that the move from a dozen old and temporary buildings to the NEC was organized and that key operations were up and running immediately. She then began to address the OIG recommendations. Ann's efforts in three core functions - procurement, shipping and housing - showcased her leadership, creativity, and sheer doggedness in addressing the problems. Ann unearthed unauthorized commitments in procurement, which stretched back for years, horribly flawed procedures, etc. She had to rebuild the way the way the procurement section did business from the ground up. Performance rose sharply, as did customer satisfaction and a properly function procurement operation took the place of a fundamentally broken one. In shipping, Ann realigned resources, improved procedures, negotiated a new local shipping contract and educated staff in the realities of shipping into and out of Algeria. Again, effectiveness and customer satisfaction rose markedly. As the mission grew, Ann had to find housing for the new arrivals. At the same time, she had to fix the mess of improper, overpriced leases already in place. Thanks to Ann, the quality of the housing pool, the real property records and the leases all improved dramatically. Ann Granatino's contribution to fixing Embassy Algiers' many, many problems can truly not be exaggerated. ¶5. The panel selected Darion K. Atkins of Kabul and Mary Lou Gonzales of New Delhi as runners-up. Other nominees included Alexandra Aitken of Manama, Timothy Bullington of AIT Taipei, David Herbert of Vienna, Richard B. Johns of Geneva, Todd K. Miyahira of The Hague, Trevor Olson of Dushanbe, Beverly Rochester-Johnson of Baghdad, Richard Peterson of Gaborone, and Janine S. Young of Jerusalem. Congratulations to all the nominees. ¶6. The selection panel was chaired by Vera Pauli- Widenhouse, Senior Advisor to the Deputy Assistant Secretary for Logistics Management, and included Mike Raynor, AF/EX, Tri McCarthy, EAP/EX, Bruce STATE 00074064 002 OF 002 Andrew, EUR-IO/EX, Martin Hohe, NEA/SCA/EX, and Ann Evans, WHA/EX. The panel commends the nominating officials for the time and effort involved in preparing the nominations and more importantly for the fact that they each recognized the difference that their GSOs had made at their post. ¶7. Minimize considered. CLINTON