After close to a decade without a United States (U.S.) ambassador, Belize welcomed a new high-ranking diplomat, Michelle Kwan, who will take the post and head the American Embassy in the Capital City of Belmopan. Kwan arrived with her family in Belize on Friday, November 2nd, and will officially assume duties after presenting her Letters of Credence to Governor General Her Excellency Dame Froyla Tzalam.
The new ambassador also held her first meeting with Belizeans upon her arrival. Kwan met with Belize’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Foreign Trade, and Immigration, the Honourable Eamon Courtenay. She presented copies of her Letters of Credence to him, discussed mutual regional priorities, and her commitment to work together to tackle a range of policy topics important to the U.S. and Belize.
Ambassador Kwan is also scheduled to participate in a candlelight vigil on Wednesday, November 7th, in observance of the 16 Days of Activism Against Gender-Based Violence. The event will start at 5PM and will be held at the Independence Plaza in Belmopan. The significant event will be presided over by Ambassador Kwan and Governor General Tzalam.
Kwan was appointed Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the U.S. to Belize on October 7, 2022. She has had a distinguished career in public service, diplomacy, and sports. Ambassador Kwan represented the United States as the most decorated figure skater in U.S. history, having won 43 championships, including five world championships, nine national titles, and two Olympic medals. She became the first Public Diplomacy Envoy in 2006 and, for a decade, traveled extensively on behalf of the U.S. Department of State to engage youth worldwide on social and educational issues. Ambassador Kwan also served as the Treasurer and Board Member of Special Olympics International.
Michelle Kwan has a B.A. from the University of Denver, Colorado, U.S., focusing on international relations, and an M.A. from Tufts University’s Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy. The new ambassador has also served as a Senior Advisor at the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs at the U.S. Department of State. In addition, she served as an Advisor to the Office of Global Women’s Issues at the U.S. Department of State, where she assisted with the US-China Women’s Leadership Exchange and Dialogue. Other languages spoken by Kwan, besides English, include Cantonese.
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