Catherine Todd Bailey (born 1951) is an American diplomat who served as Ambassador of the United States of America to Latvia (Appointed, 29 November 2004 Left post on 4 February 2008). Bailey was awarded the Honor of the Order of the Three Stars by the president of Latvia, the highest honor given to an individual for outstanding public service. Bailey is the Chair of the Department of Transportation Advisory Committee on Human Trafficking for the

United States Chamber of Commerce The United States Chamber of Commerce (USCC) is the largest lobbying group in the United States, representing over three million businesses and organizations. The group was founded in April 1912 out of local chambers of commerce at the urging ...

. She was a

Republican National Committee The Republican National Committee (RNC) is a U.S. political committee that assists the Republican Party of the United States. It is responsible for developing and promoting the Republican brand and political platform, as well as assisting in f ...

member from Kentucky between 2000 and 2004.

Early life and education

Bailey was born in

Indiana Indiana () is a U.S. state in the Midwestern United States. It is the 38th-largest by area and the 17th-most populous of the 50 States. Its capital and largest city is Indianapolis. Indiana was admitted to the United States as the 19th ...

in 1951. She received a bachelor's degree from Franklin College.

Career

Early in her career, Bailey worked for eight years as an elementary school teacher, served as public relations consultant for Creative Alliance and as a consultant for the

American Bar Association The American Bar Association (ABA) is a voluntary bar association of lawyers and law students, which is not specific to any jurisdiction in the United States. Founded in 1878, the ABA's most important stated activities are the setting of acad ...

. In 1984, she co-founded the Louisville chapter of

Ronald McDonald House Ronald McDonald House Charities (RMHC) is an independent American nonprofit organization whose stated mission is to create, find, and support programs that directly improve the health and well-being of children. RMHC has a global network of c ...

, a charitable organization that provides housing and support for families of critically and terminally ill children. From 2000 to 2004, Bailey served as Republican National Committee member from Kentucky. On September 8, 2004, President George W. Bush announced his intent to nominate Bailey to become the United States Ambassador to Latvia. On November 21, 2004, her nomination was confirmed in the Senate by

voice vote In parliamentary procedure, a voice vote (from the Latin ''viva voce'', meaning "live voice") or acclamation is a voting method in deliberative assemblies (such as legislatures) in which a group vote is taken on a topic or motion by responding v ...

and was sworn in as ambassador by former U.S. Secretary of State

Colin Powell Colin Luther Powell ( ; April 5, 1937 – October 18, 2021) was an American politician, statesman, diplomat, and United States Army officer who served as the 65th United States Secretary of State from 2001 to 2005. He was the first African ...

on January 13, 2005. In a speech Bailey gave on 16 October 2007 at The University of Latvia, Bailey said "We have seen a pattern of events that appear to be inconsistent with some of our shared values.” It is believed she was alluding to several issues including Prime Minister Aigars Kalvītis stand off with

Vaira Vīķe-Freiberga Vaira Vīķe-Freiberga (born 1 December 1937) is a Latvian politician who served as the sixth President of Latvia from 1999 to 2007. She is the first woman to hold the post. She was elected President of Latvia in 1999 and re-elected for the seco ...

over the powers of the security services, phone recordings between some judges and lawyers, and Kalvītis‘ removal of the anti-corruption bureau. Her comments received mixed reactions but were mostly positive.

Personal

In 2000, Bailey, and her husband Irving W. Bailey II, founded Operation Open Arms, Inc., a private child placing agency in Kentucky that places children of incarcerated mothers into foster families. Bailey has received accolades for her work with Operation Open Arms, including receipt of the 2003 Unsung Heroine Award sponsored by Mitsubishi Motors. Bailey has served as a volunteer board member for numerous organizations, including: the Kentucky Opera, the Kentucky Arts and Crafts Foundation, McConnell Center for Political Leadership & Excellence,

University of Louisville The University of Louisville (UofL) is a public research university in Louisville, Kentucky. It is part of the Kentucky state university system. When founded in 1798, it was the first city-owned public university in the United States and one of ...

and the

Kennedy Center The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts (formally known as the John F. Kennedy Memorial Center for the Performing Arts, and commonly referred to as the Kennedy Center) is the United States National Cultural Center, located on the Potom ...

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Bailey, Catherine Ambassadors of the United States to Latvia 1951 births United States Chamber of Commerce people American women ambassadors Ambassadors of the United States Republican National Committee members Living people 21st-century American women