Mark Gilbert

Mark Gilbert
United States Ambassador to Samoa
Assumed office
May 12, 2015
President Barack Obama
Preceded by David Huebner
United States Ambassador to New Zealand
Assumed office
February 9, 2015
President Barack Obama
Preceded by David Huebner
Personal details
Born Mark David Gilbert
(1956-08-22) August 22, 1956
Atlanta, Georgia, U.S.
Political party Democratic
Alma mater Florida State University,
Tallahassee
Mark Gilbert
Outfielder
Batted: Both Threw: Right
MLB debut
July 21, 1985, for the Chicago White Sox
Last MLB appearance
July 27, 1985, for the Chicago White Sox
MLB statistics
Batting average .273
Home runs 0
Runs batted in 3
Teams

Mark David Gilbert (born August 22, 1956) is a former outfielder in Major League Baseball who has been confirmed to serve as the United States ambassador to New Zealand. He played for the Chicago White Sox in 1985.[1]

In 2013, United States President Barack Obama nominated Gilbert to be United States ambassador to New Zealand.[2] The U.S. Senate confirmed Gilbert on December 12, 2014.

Early life and education

Gilbert was born to a Jewish family in Pennsylvania.[3] Gilbert earned a bachelor's degree in finance from Florida State University.[4]

Baseball career

In 1978, he signed with the Chicago Cubs.[5] He was promoted from the Chicago White Sox's Triple-A farm club in Buffalo in July 1985, and he went on to play seven games for the team.[5] His first at-bat was against Jamie Easterly, and he had six hits, one of which was for extra bases off Dennis Martinez.[6] After a week with the Sox, Gilbert was sent back to the minor leagues. The following year, he left baseball and had knee surgery in February 1986.[6]

During his career, Gilbert told the Chicago Tribune's Jerome Holtzman that he endured through seven and a half years of playing in baseball's minor leagues because of his ambition to be listed in the Baseball Encyclopedia.[7]

In 1992, Gilbert reflected on his baseball career to Holtzman, saying, "I think everybody thought I would flip out after I was told I couldn't play anymore. I didn't. I had played 22 straight years of organized baseball, since I was 7. I had had enough. I would have continued playing if I hadn't hurt my knee. But I was looking forward to doing something else."[6] He added that his career was worth it: "Absolutely. Everywhere I played I had fun. The most impressive thing being with the White Sox was how congenial everybody was. Carlton Fisk. Harold Baines. Tom Seaver. They were all superstars. Yet they were extremely nice to me and tried to help me as much as they could. No question. It was worth it."

After he was nominated to be a U.S. ambassador in 2013, Gilbert's former manager, Tony La Russa, told the Associated Press: "Sure, I remember him. I was always taken with his intelligence and how he was committed to what we were trying to teach — to become a teammate, a competitor and to pursue excellence as a professional. You do that and get a proper foundation and out of the bottom, out drops your fame and fortune. I think he's now raised his excellence to a new level."[8]

Finance career

After baseball, Gilbert worked as a sales manager at Drexel Burnham Lambert in Boca Raton, Florida from 1986 until 1989 and then as a senior vice president at Goldman Sachs in Miami from 1989 until 1996.[4]

Gilbert then joined Lehman Brothers in West Palm Beach, Florida and remained with the firm as it became Barclays Wealth.[4][9]

Political involvement and ambassadorship

In 2004, Gilbert was a trustee on the national finance committee for the presidential campaign of John Kerry.[4] In 2007, Gilbert began a close relationship as a fundraiser for then-Sen. Barack Obama, and he quickly became an early supporter of Obama's successful presidential bid.[9] In 2007, Gilbert was appointed deputy national finance chairman for the Democratic National Committee.[9] Ultimately, Gilbert served as a fundraiser for both of Obama's presidential campaigns.[10] In 2012, the New York Times reported that Gilbert had raised $1.23 million for Obama in 2011 and 2012, and a total of $3.36 million since 2007.[11]

On October 30, 2013, Obama nominated Gilbert to be United States Ambassador to New Zealand.[10][12] The United States Senate confirmed Gilbert in a voice vote on December 12, 2014.[13]

The United States State Department has said that it has no record of any other former major league baseball player serving as an ambassador.[8] While Martinez, Cal Ripken Jr. and Barry Larkin have served the State Department in roles such as diplomacy envoys, goodwill ambassadors and baseball sports envoys, Gilbert is the first credentialed ambassador who is a veteran of major league baseball.[8]

Personal life

He is married to Nancy Gilbert. Nancy owns The Masorti Travel Bureau which developed the itinerary of the first trip of Birthright Israel, an organization that arranges free trips to Israel for first-time visiting Jewish students ages 18 to 25.[3] Gilbert served for three terms as the president of B'nai Torah Congregation in Boca Raton.[3]

See also

References

  1. ↑ "Mark Gilbert Statistics and History". baseball-reference.com. Retrieved 2011-02-08.
  2. ↑ Ex-baseball player nominated as ambassador to NZ stuff.co.nz, 30 October 2013
  3. 1 2 3 Orlando Sentinel: "Early South Florida Obama supporter hosts Biden fundraiser" By Anthony Man October 29, 2009
  4. 1 2 3 4 "President Obama Announces More Key Administration Posts | The White House". Whitehouse.gov. 2013-10-30. Retrieved 2015-04-16.
  5. 1 2 Jerome Holtzman (1985-07-25). "Grandpa Finally Gets His Wish - tribunedigital-chicagotribune". Articles.chicagotribune.com. Retrieved 2015-04-16.
  6. 1 2 3 Holtzman, Jerome (December 23, 1992). "7-game Sox career delightful memory". Chicago Tribune. p. 1. Retrieved 27 June 2014.
  7. ↑ Jerome Holtzman (1996-12-04). "Here's The Book-on Everything From Aaron To Zwilling - tribunedigital-chicagotribune". Articles.chicagotribune.com. Retrieved 2015-04-16.
  8. 1 2 3 "Former White Sox OF Mark Gilbert set to be ambassador". Usatoday.com. 2013-10-30. Retrieved 2015-04-16.
  9. 1 2 3 "Broward Politics | Sun Sentinel Blogs | Early South Florida Obama supporter hosts Biden fundraiser". Weblogs.sun-sentinel.com. 2009-10-29. Retrieved 2015-04-16.
  10. 1 2 "Obama bundlers nominated for diplomatic posts; Boca's Mark Gilbert for ambassador to New Zealand | Florida Bulldog". Browardbulldog.org. 2013-10-31. Retrieved 2015-04-16.
  11. ↑ "Obama's Top Fund-Raisers". The New York Times. Retrieved 2015-04-16.
  12. ↑ "Presidential Nominations Sent to the Senate | The White House". Whitehouse.gov. 2013-10-30. Retrieved 2015-04-16.
  13. ↑ "Former White Sox player becomes U.S. ambassador to New Zealand". Chicagotribune.com. 2014-12-13. Retrieved 2015-04-16.
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Mark Gilbert.
Diplomatic posts
Preceded by
David Huebner		 United States Ambassador to New Zealand
2015–present 		Incumbent
United States Ambassador to Samoa
2015–present


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