Rosa Whitaker

Rosa Whitaker is the CEO and President of The Whitaker Group. Ms. Whitaker previously served as the first ever Assistant U.S. Trade Representative for Africa in the administrations of Presidents George W. Bush and Bill Clinton. In this capacity, she developed and implemented the African Growth and Opportunity Act and other bilateral and multilateral trade policy initiatives towards Africa.

Background

Ms. Whitaker was born in Washington DC and holds Master’s and Bachelor’s degrees from American University in Washington, D.C. and has completed studies in The United Kingdom and Italy as well as at the U.S. Foreign Service Institute. She is often on the public speaking circuit and has lectured at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and the National Defense University. In April 2008, Ms. Whitaker married Archbishop Nicholas Duncan-Williams, overseer of Christian Action Faith Ministries Worldwide.

Career

Diplomacy

As a career diplomat, Ms. Whitaker served in Africa and the State Department's Office of International Energy Policy. And at the age of 28 she served as the Executive Director of the Washington Office of International Business, initiating projects to support Africa’s business development.

enior Trade Adviser

Before joining the Office of the United States Trade Representative in the Executive Office of the President of the United States where she worked closely with current World Bank President Robert B. Zoellick and Ambassador Josette Sheeran, current Executive Director of the World Food Program, Rosa Whitaker was Senior Trade Policy Adviser to Congressman Charles Rangel, the current Chairman of the U.S. House of Representatives Ways and Means Committee. In that position, she was one of the hands-on architects of AGOA and helped develop the Africa Trade and Investment Caucus in Congress. She was responsible for advising Congressman Rangel on a broad range of issues related to the World Trade Organization, Africa, China and Global Competitiveness.

United States Trade Representative

Ms. Whitaker started the United States Trade Representative's Office of African Affairs and was the lead U.S. negotiator for trade agreements with African countries. Under her leadership, the U.S. was credited with a string of unprecedented initiatives to enhance American trade, investment and economic cooperation with African countries.

The Whitaker Group

The Whitaker Group is the premiere U.S. consulting firm focused on bringing trade and investment to Africa. The Whitaker Group mobilizes partnerships, resources, and capital for Africa’s development. The Whitaker Group has facilitated hundreds of millions of dollars in trade, investment, and grants to address poverty alleviation and economic development in Africa.

Over her career, Ms. Whitaker has built an extensive network of contacts in the U.S. government and business community, as well as in the public and private sectors throughout Africa. Her leadership in designing and implementing initiatives has brought numerous trade and investment opportunities to Africa.

Building on her extensive networks of contacts, Ms. Whitaker established The Whitaker Group to respond to the urgent need of African countries to maximize tangible trade and investment gains from AGOA and related initiatives; to significantly enhance the public and media profile of these nations in the U.S.; and to strengthen relations and mutually beneficial cooperation with key U.S. institutions and leaders in the decision making apparatus – including the White House, State, Commerce and Treasury Departments, international organizations, Congress and Trade agencies.

Awards and Professional Affiliations

Ms. Whitaker is a member of the Executive Board of Mercy Ships, a global faith-based charity that has operated hospital ships in developing nations for 20 years, providing medical care to the poorest of the poor. In March 2008 Bennett College for Women named her a Woman with the Audacity to Excel, along with legendary civil rights pioneer Dr. Dorothy Height and three other African-American women leaders. In 2002, she was named Woman of the Year in International Trade by the Women in International Trade organization. She has received numerous other honors, including the 2001 Africa-America Institute's Award for Promoting U.S.-Africa Trade Relations and the Annual Achievement Award from the U.S. Association of Importers of Textile and Apparel in 2000. She was also inducted into the Hall of Fame for Trade by the Consumers for World Trade in 2003 and served as vice chair of the U.S.-South Africa Business Council. She also serves on the Board of the Bethune-Dubois Fund, a scholarship program for minority students created in honor of Mary McLeod Bethune and WEB Dubois. She is also co-chair of the AGOA Action Committee with the Honorable Jack Kemp.

References

External links

* [http://thewhitakergroup.us/WhitakerGroup_team.asp#RosaWhitaker the Whitaker group ]