President Donald Trump nominated Kimberly Greenwood on a Monday to serve as the U.S. ambassador to Barbados and six other Eastern Caribbean nations. The nomination was submitted to the U.S. Senate as part of a group of candidates for judicial, diplomatic, and administrative positions. If confirmed, Greenwood would represent U.S. interests in Barbados, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Antigua and Barbuda, Dominica, Grenada, and Saint Vincent and the Grenadines.
The role involves serving as the top U.S. envoy to these seven nations simultaneously, a common practice for small Eastern Caribbean island countries that do not host separate U.S. diplomatic posts. Greenwood stated on social media that she intends to build relationships and communicate the value of American friendship to these nations if the Senate confirms her appointment. Her husband, singer Lee Greenwood, noted that she previously worked with the president for 18 years through the Miss Universe Organization.
Greenwood’s professional background includes serving as a director for the Miss Tennessee, Miss Mississippi, and Miss Georgia pageants. She is a former Miss Tennessee and stated in a summer interview that her professional relationship with the president began through her work with the Miss Universe pageant, which he formerly owned. Lee Greenwood, known for the song "God Bless the USA," has been a participant in the president's political events and collaborated with him on a line of Bibles.
This nomination reflects a trend in the administration’s staffing of diplomatic posts. A review by the Washington Post cited in the source found that the administration has filled a larger-than-usual share of its ambassadorial posts with political supporters rather than career Foreign Service officers. Other political nominations include Charles Kushner to France and Monaco, Herschel Walker to the Bahamas, and Kari Lake to Jamaica.
The next step for Greenwood is a confirmation hearing and vote by the U.S. Senate. If the Senate approves the nomination, she will begin her duties in the Caribbean. The source does not specify the dates for these hearings or a deadline for the vote. Until then, many diplomatic posts remain unfilled, as noted by the Washington Post review.