President Trump has nominated Kimberly Greenwood, wife of singer Lee Greenwood, to be U.S. ambassador to Barbados and accredited to seven other Eastern Caribbean countries. Greenwood — a former Miss Tennessee who worked for years with the Miss Universe Organization — thanked the president and pledged to build relationships if confirmed. The nomination is part of a broader pattern of political appointees filling ambassadorial posts, a trend noted in a recent Washington Post review. Greenwood’s appointment now awaits Senate confirmation.
Trump Nominates Kimberly Greenwood As U.S. Ambassador To Barbados And Seven Caribbean Nations
Trump nominates Lee Greenwood's wife to serve as ambassador to Barbados
President Donald Trump on Monday nominated Kimberly Greenwood, the wife of country singer Lee Greenwood, to serve as the next U.S. ambassador to Barbados and as the top U.S. envoy to seven additional Eastern Caribbean nations.
The White House sent Greenwood’s nomination to the U.S. Senate alongside dozens of other nominees for judgeships, ambassadorships and administration posts. Her nomination designates her as ambassador to Barbados and, "without additional compensation," as the United States' chief representative to Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Antigua and Barbuda, Dominica, Grenada and Saint Vincent and the Grenadines. It is common for a single diplomat to be accredited to Barbados and several nearby island nations, many of which do not host separate full-time U.S. embassies.
Gratitude and Pledge
In an Instagram post that included a photo of her with Lee Greenwood and President Trump, Kimberly Greenwood called the nomination "one of the greatest honors of my lifetime." She wrote:
"If confirmed by the United States Senate, I will work every day to earn that confidence, to listen and learn, to build genuine relationships, and to make sure the people of every nation I am privileged to serve know how deeply America values their friendship."
Background and Experience
A former Miss Tennessee, Kimberly Greenwood has worked with Mr. Trump in his former role as owner of the Miss Universe Organization. According to a biography on the Miss Georgia website, she has directed state pageants including Miss Tennessee, Miss Mississippi and Miss Georgia. Lee Greenwood noted on X that Kim "worked with President Trump for 18 years through the Miss Universe Organization while directing multiple state pageants."
Reactions and Context
Lee Greenwood congratulated his wife on X, saying he expects her to serve "with humility, dignity and a sincere desire to strengthen the friendships between the United States and the people of these seven Caribbean nations."
While presidents routinely appoint political supporters to ambassadorial posts, a Washington Post review last month found the Trump administration has filled a larger-than-usual share of ambassador roles with political backers rather than career Foreign Service officers, leaving many posts unfilled. The White House has also nominated other Trump-backed figures for Caribbean diplomatic posts: Herschel Walker for the Bahamas and Kari Lake for Jamaica. Separately, Charles Kushner currently serves as ambassador to France and Monaco, and Kimberly Guilfoyle was tapped as ambassador to Greece.
Next Steps
Greenwood’s nomination now moves to the Senate Foreign Relations Committee and, if advanced, to a full Senate confirmation vote. If confirmed, she will assume the diplomatic responsibilities for Barbados and the seven additional Eastern Caribbean nations she has been nominated to serve.
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