Nicole Avant

In 2009, Nicole Avant was sworn in as the 13th U.S. Ambassador to The Commonwealth of The Bahamas after a unanimous confirmation by the U.S. Senate. She is the youngest person and first African-American woman to hold the office where she served until 2011.

During her tenure, she focused on six key initiatives: economic and small business development, education, women’s empowerment, bringing an end to human trafficking, alternative energy, and raising awareness for the challenges facing people with disabilities. Her push beyond traditional diplomacy led to her nomination for the State Department’s prestigious Sue M. Cobb Award. This admiration led a group of Bahamian business leaders to form The Ambassador Nicole Avant Scholarship Foundation to provide academic scholarships to students throughout the islands.

Ambassador Avant is an active board member for A Sense of Home and is a current Trustee at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art. Ambassador Avant was a leading business executive serving as VP of Interior Music Publishing from 1998-2008.