The Honorable Denis Antoine

Remarks: Financial Literacy Alone is Not Enough

Denis G. Antoine is the current Chairman of the Board of Directors for the Young Americas Business Trust (YABT), the former Chairman of the Permanent Council of the Organization of American (OAS).  He served as Grenada’s Ambassador to the United States of America Permanent Representative to the Organization of American (OAS) in Washington, DC, and non-resident Ambassador for Grenada to Mexico and Panama, concurrently, from 1995 to 2009. In addition, he served as a senior member of Grenada’s delegation to United Nations General Assembly from 2000-2008.

In his capacity as head of Grenada’s diplomatic missions, Ambassador Antoine performed many functions.  This included serving as Deputy Head of Mission, and Counsellor/Alternate Representative to the OAS in Washington, D.C and as Charge d’Affairs from May 1985- December 1990 in Washington, D.C.  Prior to his appointment as Ambassador, Dr. Antoine served as a Program Specialist for the government of the District of Columbia and as Education Supervisor for the District of Columbia Public Schools until 1995.

Dr. Antoine has more than seventeen years of high level diplomatic experience in the United States, Mexico, Panama, and the Inter-American System.  His long time dedicated service in international diplomacy was recognized when he was selected as the recipient of the 2008 Martin Luther King Jr. Legacy Award for International Service.  

Dr. Antoine has headed numerous diplomatic delegations. He was the only Ambassador from the Western Hemisphere to serve as Head of Delegation to the Special Economic Summit of the Americas in Nuevo Leon, Mexico – January 2004.  As Ambassador, he led his country delegation to the Special General Assembly in Lima Peru for the signing of the Inter American Democratic Charter that took place on September 11, 2001.  He served as Head of Delegation to the 4th Summit of the Americas in Mar Del Plata, Argentina; a member of Grenada’s delegation to the Caribbean and United States Foreign Ministers Meeting at the Caribbean, a member of delegation to the US Caribbean Summit in Bridgetown, Barbados.

Ambassador Antoine headed diplomatic delegations to: The People’s Republic of China, three to Taiwan; for the OAS to the Meeting of the Community of Democracies in Seoul Korea; and UNESCO in France.  He represented Grenada as Head of Delegation to more than six OAS General Assemblies and other specialized Ministerial meetings and hemispheric bodies throughout the Western Hemisphere.  He served as Head of delegation to the General Assembly of the Association of Caribbean States (ACS),  Head of Delegation and presenter at the World Trade Organization round of negotiations in Seattle, Washington, as well as, senior advisor for Grenada’s delegation to the Summit of Heads of State and Governments of the Americas in Santiago Chile, and Quebec City, Canada.

As former Dean of the Corps of Ambassadors of the Western Hemisphere, he represented Grenada on the Board of Directors of the Inter-American Agency for Cooperation and Development (IACD).  He has chaired various OAS Committees, served as Chairman of the Executive Committee of the Inter-American Council for Integral Development and Vice Chair for the Committee on Hemispheric Security; he served as coordinator of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) Corps of Ambassadors in Washington, DC. In addition, he serves as chairman and board member of several charitable foundations.  

Dr. Antoine earn his PhD in Management from LaSalle University, an MS in Organizational Management from National-Louis University, and an MA in Education from the University of the District of Columbia.