| Nicole Avant | |
|---|---|
| Born | March 6, 1968 |
| Occupation | Ambassador Music executive Political activist philanthropist |
Nicole A. Avant (Born March 6, 1968) is the current U.S. Ambassador to The Bahamas. In Addition to Ambassador, Nicole Avant is a music executive, political activist and philanthropist. She is the daughter of Clarence Avant, Following in her father's footsteps, Ambassador Avant has been active in The Democratic Party as well as many philanthropic efforts.
Nicole Avant was nominated by U.S. President Barack Obama to be Ambassador of The United States of America to The Bahamas. After a unanimous confirmation by the U.S. Senate, she was sworn into office by Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton September 9, 2009. Ambassador Avant Presented her Letters of Credence to His Excellency Arthur D. Hanna, the Governor General of The Bahamas on Thursday, October 22, 2009.
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Prior to her confirmation as the U.S. Ambassador to The Bahamas, Nicole Avant was the Southern California Finance Co-Chairwoman of the Barack Obama Presidential Campaign. Previously, Ambassador Avant served as Vice President of Interior Music Publishing (1998–2009).
Ambassador Nicole Avant was formerly an active board member of both Best Buddies International[1] and The Bogart Pediatric Research Program[2]. Ambassador Avant also served as an Academic Counselor at the Neighborhood Academic Initiative, A University of Southern California mentorship program for high school students that provided full academic scholarships as well as daily guidance and direction in social behavior and social responsibility. In 2007 Ambassador Avant was named one of the American Cancer Society's Next Generation Leaders.
Since becoming Ambassador, Nicole Avant has focused on five priority initiatives: Education, Alternative Energy, Economic and Small Business Development, Women's Empowerment and Raising awareness of the challenges facing people with disabilities.
Under Ambassador Avant's leadership U.S. Embassy Nassau has partnered with African-American business leaders to strengthen ties between the U.S. and the Bahamas. These efforts have been in collaboration with organizations such as Travel Professionals of Color[3], The National Association of Black Hotel Owners, Operators and Developers[4] as well as Bahamian public offices such as the Ministries of Tourism and Education.
Many of Ambassador Avant's initiatives are youth oriented. She has been active in several youth programs since her arrival in the Bahamas, including The Read to Lead Program, which encourages children to develop a love of reading, The Martin Luther King Jr. Essay Competition, and The Green Video Challenge, a competition promoting sustainable practices among Bahamian students. During her tenure in the Bahamas, Ambassador Avant, has developed a special relationship with the Willie Mae Pratt Center for Girls, a detention facility for at risk youth. She has also collaborated with local advocacy groups that support people with disabilities and disorders such as Special olympics-Bahamas and REACH, a Bahamian support group for families affected by autism.
Ambassador Avant is married to Ted Sarandos, Chief Content Officer for Netflix Corporation, and is the stepmother of two children, Sarah and Tony.