Tapia touches down - New US ambassador arrives to take up duties
Published:Saturday | August 31, 2019 | 12:16 AMRomario Scott/Gleaner Writer
Donald Tapia, the new United States (US) ambassador to Jamaica, arrived in Jamaica yesterday.
He stepped out of the Norman Manley International Airport in Kingston at 12:40 p.m. to kick-start his tour as the US’s chief diplomat in the island.
Tapia will take control of US affairs in the country from Chargé d’Affaires John McIntyre.
With Tapia’s arrival, McIntyre will assume the role of deputy chief of mission.
On August 22, Tapia was sworn in as ambassador by US Vice President Mike Pence at a White House ceremony attended by Jamaica’s ambassador to the US, Audrey Marks.
“Having Ambassador Tapia in place is an important step as we continue to strengthen our bilateral relationship,” the US Bureau of Western Hemisphere Affairs said after he was sworn in as the 17th US ambassador to Jamaica.
Tapia has promised to increase trade and to focus on energy, while looking out for his nation’s interest during his tour.
“I am looking to increase trade; to work alongside your Government and the Donald Trump administration to look at how we can address the problem of drugs, guns, and human trafficking,” he said recently in Washington, DC. “These are major problems for both countries, and we have to find a way to tackle them.”
He added: “I will use my good offices to work with the US government to see how we can come up with solutions to address this major problem.”
Tapia served as chairman and CEO of Essco Group Management, the largest Hispanic-owned business in Arizona, for more than three decades.
His philanthropic efforts include serving on the board of directors for the Sun Angel Foundation and Endowment at Arizona State University; the Tau Kappa Epsilon Educational Foundation Board of Indianapolis, Indiana; and as chairman of the board and trustee at Saint Leo University.
Tapia served on the boards of the Boys and Girls Club of Metropolitan Phoenix, Teen LifeLine Phoenix, the Advisory Council of the Arizona Animal Welfare League, and the Advisory Board for the Foundation for Blind Children in Phoenix, Arizona.
A US Army veteran, Tapia received his BA and MBA from Saint Leo University in Saint Leo, Florida.