Meritorious Service Medal
- Awarded on: September 27, 2016
- Invested on: June 23, 2017
Valerie Nelson founded Familias Saludables, a non-profit organization in Honduras. Compelled by a desire to fight the spread of HIV on Roatan Island, she has promoted HIV testing clinics and prevention programs to raise awareness among the local population of the vectors of transmission for this disease. Thanks to her efforts, the incidence of mother-to-child transmission of HIV has decreased on the island.