Sunday, November 29, 2009
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 to be the next ambassador to the Caribbean island nation of Trinidad and Tobago. Wilkinson, 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 22 states, specializing in Medicaid patients. In 2007, AmeriChoice was bought out by UnitedHealth Group, of which Anthoony Welters is executive vice-president and president of its Senior Markets Group. The Welters have two sons, Bryant and Andrew.
Since 1989, the Welters have donated $571,500 to federal candidates, committees and leadership PACs. Although the Welters have contributed mainly to Democrats, more than 30 percent of their donations have gone to Republican candidates, party committees and leadership PACs. For example, Welters and her husband donated $6,000 to Republican President George W. Bush’s campaigns in 2000 and 2004. Anthony Welters also gave former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani $2,300 during his failed 2008 bid for the Republican presidential nomination.
- Matt Bewig
Obama Chooses Woman as US Ambassador to T&T (by Francis Joseph, Trinidad and Tobago Guardian)
Two Dozen Bankrollers-Turned-Ambassadors Bundled At Least $10 Million For Barack Obama (by Michael Beckel, Capital Eye Blog)
Barack Obama Rewards Big Donors with Plum Jobs Overseas (by Jeanne Cummings, Politico)
Report of Inspection: Embassy Port of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago (U.S. Department of State) (PDF)
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