Melinda Hildebrand has been nominated as the next U.S. Ambassador to Costa Rica, as officially announced. Hildebrand is a successful businesswoman and philanthropist who serves as Vice Chair of the Hildebrand Foundation and Vice President of Hilcorp Ventures Inc. She is also the President and Owner of the popular River Oaks Donuts.
“She will fight tirelessly to protect America’s interests abroad, especially in trade and immigration,” Trump assured. Melinda Hildebrand holds a degree in Business Administration from the University of Texas at Austin. She is married to Jeffery D. Hildebrand, and they have three children.
She also serves on the boards of Saint Thomas University and the University of Texas at Austin and is involved in cultural institutions such as the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston. Additionally, Hildebrand works with the Houston Parks Board as a trustee, serves as President of the Memorial Park Conservancy Endowment in Houston, and is a member of the Executive and Endowment Committees at Episcopal High School in Bellaire, Texas.
She was also elected to the board of the Upper Snowmass Creek Caucus in Snowmass, Colorado; is part of the Advisory Board for Life House Houston; serves as a trustee for the Center for Addiction in New York City; and is a board member of Preservation Square in Austin, Texas.
The newly nominated U.S. Ambassador to Costa Rica has volunteered with the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo as a member of the International Committee for 31 years and is a sustaining member of the Junior League of Houston. Following her nomination by President Trump, she must now be confirmed by the Senate. The duration of this process varies, so it is unclear when she will officially arrive in Costa Rica.
Hildebrand joins two other women who have recently served as U.S. ambassadors to Costa Rica. During his first administration, Trump appointed Florida businesswoman Sharon Day, while Joe Biden selected Cynthia Telles, a health expert from California.
