The Importance of America’s Relations with Mexico 

Tuesday, October 22, 2019

The Colony Palm Beach Pavilion Room 
155 Hammon AvenuePalm Beach, FL 33480  
6:00 p.m. – Registration & Social
6:30 p.m. – 7:45 p.m. Speaker Presentation

Ambassador E. Anthony Wayne will discuss U.S.- Mexico Interplay

Speaker Profile:

Ambassador Wayne is currently a Public Policy Fellow at the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars, and a Co-Chair of the Mexico Institute’s Board.  He is also a senior non-resident advisor at two other think tanks: the Center for Strategic and International Studies and the Atlantic Council. Ambassador Wayne is the Treasurer of the American Foreign Service Association and the Treasurer of its PAC, as well as a board member of the American Academy of Diplomacy, working to support strong U.S. diplomacy.

Ambassador Wayne’s most recent diplomatic posting was as the United States Ambassador to Mexico (2011- 2015).   He led a U.S. Mission of 2,700 employees working to foster America’s relationship with a major partner on trade, investment, tourism, migration, law enforcement, and border security.  Immediately preceding his time in Mexico, Ambassador Wayne spent two years serving at the U.S. Embassy in Afghanistan.  After a year, Wayne was named the Deputy U.S. Ambassador.   As the Chief Operating Officer, he supervised Embassy and field offices of over 1000 staff and liaised closely with the government of Afghanistan, the U.S. military, and international officials.

From 2006 to 2009, Wayne was the United States Ambassador to Argentina.  He and his team worked successfully to overcome high levels of anti-Americanism through vigorous public diplomacy, youth engagement and partnership with civil society and businesses. 

Before serving in Argentina, Ambassador Wayne was the Assistant Secretary of State for Economic and Business Affairs (EB) for six years and remains the longest serving EB Assistant Secretary.  Earlier, he worked on European affairs in Washington, Brussels and Paris, among his other Foreign Service jobs, and was also a correspondent for The Christian Science Monitor for two years.

Ambassador Wayne has received numerous honors.  His last three awards are the Director General’s Cup for the Foreign Service (2017), the State Department’s Charles Cobb Award for Initiative and Success in Trade Development (2015), and Mexico’s Order of the Aztec Eagle (2015).  He holds an MPA from the JFK School of Government, Harvard University (1984), an MA from Princeton University (1975), an MA from Stanford University (1973), and a BA is from the University of California, Berkeley (1972).  Born and raised in California, Ambassador Wayne is currently living in Maryland.