Beatrice wilkinson welters biography templates
Like all his recent predecessors, President Barack Obama is appointing old friends and big party donors to diplomatic posts across the globe. The most recent example is his nomination of Beatrice Wilkinson Welters in November of 2009 to be the next ambassador to the Caribbean island nation of Trinidad and Tobago. Wilkerson, her husband Anthony, and their then-teenaged sons all contributed the maximum amount of $2,300 to Obama’s presidential campaign in 2007 and 2008. Furthermore, the Welters gave $100,000 to the Obama inauguration and “bundled” contributions of at least $500,000 to Obama.
Born circa 1951, Welters earned an A.A. from Ulster County Community College,a B.A. from Manhattanville College and an M.A. from the John Jay College of Criminal Justice at City University of New York. She worked at IBM from 1977 to 1991, where she held several positions, including systems engineer.
She and her husband founded the AnBryce Foundation in 1995, and the Vincent Wilkinson Foundation in 2004. The centerpiece of AnBryce is the Camp Dogwood Summer Academy. These foundations focus on providing educational opportunities for underserved youth and young adults. She was appointed to the Kennedy Center Board of Trustees in 1992 and serves on its Executive Committee and Education Committee. She serves on the board of the Aspen Institute. She serves as a board member of the National Symphony Orchestra and as its Vice President for Community Development. Welters aslo serves on the board of the Library of Congress as a member of the James Madison Council Steering Committee and as Co-Chair of the Acquisitions Committee, as a board member at the Brookings Institution, on the board of the Washington Jesuit Academy, and as a Trustee at the Maret School.
In 1989, Welters’ husband founded AmeriChoice, which provides health care plans for government programs in
Beatrice Wilkinson Welters brings determination, commitment, and hands-on involvement to all that she undertakes. She has a strong record of service to her country and her community, with a special focus on providing opportunities to underserved young people.
Mrs. Welters served as the United States Ambassador to the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago from May 2010 through November 2012. Trinidad and Tobago is a pillar of the United States’ Caribbean Basin Initiatives strategy to promote citizen safety and reduce illicit trafficking throughout the region.
Mrs. Welters' passion for helping young people from under-resourced and challenging environments is carried out through the AnBryce Foundation, which she founded with her husband in 1995. Camp Dogwood Summer Academy was the first of the Foundation's programs. Located in rural central Virginia, tuition-free Camp Dogwood welcomes over 100 young campers each summer, providing educational and personal development programs.
Mrs. Welters further advanced the mission of the foundation in 1998 through the creation of the AnBryce Scholars Program at the New York University School of Law. This program assists students of high merit who come from backgrounds of severe economic disadvantage and are the first in their families to attend graduate school, and provides full-tuition scholarships as well as summer employment, mentoring and other enrichment opportunities.
Mrs. Welters serves on the boards of several distinguished Washington, DC institutions, including the Brookings Institution, where she is a member of the Nominating Committee. She is also a member of the Board of Visitors at Colin Powell’s School for Civic and Global Leadership at City College of New York.
Alumni
According to dad, when I was not yet 6 he was invited to attend a SACO concert. This concert had a huge impact on my dad. To quote him, he said “ he knew excellence when he saw it and SACO was definitely spectacular.” The rest, as they say is history.
During my 11 years with SACO I have won the National Music Festival in my age category and was a runner up in the Open Category. During this period we toured Curacao and played in front of numerous audiences at NAPA and Queen's Hall. We have serenaded visiting dignitaries and had the pleasure of being hosted by the former US Ambassador, H.E. Beatrice Wilkinson Welters . More recently I had the opportunity to travel to Venezuela to participate in a training workshop to further hone my skills. At 16 I completed my Grade 8 Violin exams and currently carry on an after-school programme teaching the violin to Primary School kids.
As a natural introvert my involvement in SACO has boosted my self- confidence. Having to play in front of large audiences on a regular basis meant that I had to be more assertive and to develop techniques to mask my naturally shy demeanour. In order to put on the type of shows that our audiences have come to expect requires serious dedication and painstaking devotion. When we are preparing for concerts a typical practice session can run for several hours, days on end. This particular experience has certainly taught me to be much more disciplined not only with respect to music but with my academic studies as well.
Having to combine classical music, my academic studies and extra-curricular activities has also taught me time management skills. There have been days when I left football practice and would immediately head down to music. At about 7 p.m my parents would pick me up. I would have a quick meal only to start home work assignments due to be handed up the following day.
Finally, because of my involvement in SACO I was also a We’re sorry, this site is currently experiencing technical difficulties.
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