As new ambassador to Belgium and a Buckhead resident, I plan to build bridges
I am humbled by President Donald Trump’s decision to nominate me as U.S. ambassador to the Kingdom of Belgium. This is both a privilege and a profound responsibility.
My husband Bryan and I have called Buckhead and Atlanta home, and I am honored to be this great city’s second U.S. Ambassador to Belgium, following in the footsteps of Anne Cox Chambers — a pillar of the Atlanta community and a former owner of Cox Enterprises, the AJC’s parent company.
Ambassador Chambers was not only the first woman to serve as U.S. ambassador to Belgium but also a symbol of the enduring ties between Atlanta and Brussels.
The connection between these two cities is more than symbolic.
In 1983, thanks to then Atlanta City Councilman Robb Pitts, Brussels and Atlanta became sister cities, a relationship forged when Sabena Belgian World Airlines became the first foreign airline to fly to Atlanta.
Today, Atlanta is one of only three U.S. cities — alongside New York and Los Angeles — with a Belgian consulate. Delta Air Lines now has daily flights for all who want to visit and do business in Belgium.
Deep U.S. relationship with Belgium spans decades
These ties extend beyond diplomacy.
The University of Georgia School of Law maintains a partnership with the Catholic University of Leuven, just outside Brussels.
Atlanta’s own Coca-Cola has a research and development lab in Brussels.
At the lab’s 25th anniversary event, Belgium’s wonderful new Prime Minister Bart De Wever shared a story about a recently discovered Coca-Cola bottle from 1944 left behind by U.S. troops liberating Belgium.
When asked what it would taste like after so many years, he replied: “It tastes like freedom, of course!”
We are fortunate that the legacy of the Greatest Generation is still remembered so clearly in Belgium. As ambassador, I will work tirelessly to honor that legacy and strengthen our relationship with Belgium.
Defense partnership produces jobs in Georgia
Belgium’s commitment to collective defense is evident in its purchase of 34 F-35 fighter jets, enhancing NATO’s capabilities while supporting U.S. and Belgian jobs.
Marietta, home to Bryan’s folks, is also home to 1,200 jobs at Lockheed Martin’s F-35 program and 29 other F-35 suppliers.
In Belgium, I will work with our allies to accelerate defense capabilities and help meet NATO’s 5% defense spending target by 2035. Belgium is a wonderful partner in this effort and is already delivering on the critically important pledge they made at the recent historic NATO Summit in The Hague, where President Trump demonstrated bold leadership.
Our economic partnership is equally strong. More than $70 billion in annual trade supports 200,000 jobs on both sides of the Atlantic. This partnership is already creating jobs in Georgia, where Belgian companies like Solvay and UCB have established operations.
Drawing on my business experience, I will advance President Trump’s trade agenda by promoting U.S. exports to Belgium and encouraging further Belgian investment in the United States.
Security cooperation is another pillar of our relationship. Belgium’s Port of Antwerp — more than double the size of Manhattan — is a key gateway for U.S. goods, including those from Georgia, which sent $1.5 billion in exports to Belgium in 2023.
It is also on the front lines of the fight against illegal immigration, illicit narcotics and transnational crime. I will continue to strengthen law enforcement collaboration, such as sharing information and intelligence, which Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem pledged during a recent Antwerp visit.
We welcome fellow Atlantans to Brussels
Defense, trade, and security are essential parts of diplomacy. But diplomacy is about more than fighter jets and container ships. I am reminded of the 1944 Coca-Cola bottle — an emblem of freedom and friendship.
Those are the values that define the U.S.–Belgian relationship and will guide me as President Trump’s personal representative to Belgium.
I am honored to follow in Ambassador Chambers’ footsteps, working to bring Belgium and the United States — and our sister cities of Brussels and Atlanta — closer together. My ambassadorship will be defined by building bridges — between business and government, between Europe and America, through commercial diplomacy that expands opportunity and strengthens investment in the U.S.
From Peachtree Road to the Grand Place, I want Belgium to see in me the spirit of Atlanta: entrepreneurial, optimistic and steadfast in friendship.
Bryan and I met in Atlanta nearly 25 years ago. We look forward to welcoming you, your families, and your businesses to Belgium.
We commit ourselves to President Trump and Secretary Rubio’s call to action to center everything we do to make America safer, stronger, and more prosperous. We hope to see you all soon.
The U.S. Senate confirmed Buckhead resident and civic and business leader Bill White as American ambassador to Belgium on Oct. 7.
