Beatrice W. Welters

Beatrice Wilkinson Welters was confirmed on March 10, 2010 by the U.S. Senate to become the next U.S. Ambassador to Trinidad and Tobago. She was sworn in on April 27.

Prior to taking up her new position, Ambassador Welters was President and Chairperson of the AnBryce Foundation, which provides long-term academic and leadership enrichment programs for underserved youth. The Ambassador established the Foundation in 1995. From 1977 to 1991, she worked at IBM, holding several positions, including systems engineer. Ambassador Welters was also a past Presidential Appointee to the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, serving on its Executive Committee. She also served on the Library of Congress Madison Council and as a Trustee for several organizations, including the Brookings Institute, the Aspen Institute, the National Symphony Orchestra, the Washington Jesuit Academy, and the Maret School.

Ambassador Welters holds an A.A. from Ulster County Community College, a B.A. from Manhattanville College, and an M.A. from the City University of New York. She also received an Honorary Doctorate from Livingstone College in Salisbury, North Carolina in 2009. Along with her husband Anthony, the Ambassador was the recipient of the 2008 Woodrow Wilson Award for Public Service.