By EARYEL BOWLEG

Tribune Staff Reporter

ebowleg@tribunemedia.net

The US Department of State has submitted Herschel Walker’s Certificate of Competency to the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, a key step in advancing his nomination as US Ambassador to The Bahamas.

A Certificate of Competency is a formal document required for all presidential nominees for Chief of Mission roles, including ambassadors. By law, it must be presented to the Senate Foreign Relations Committee to affirm that a nominee is qualified to represent the United States abroad. The certificate’s submission is a prerequisite for the committee to consider and vote on the nominee’s confirmation.

The summary accompanying the certificate described Mr Walker as a “renowned business leader”, “former professional athlete”, and “dedicated community advocate for education and mental health”. It highlighted his reputation for “honesty, diligence, an unwavering commitment to community and excellence – both on and off the field”, saying these qualities “will serve him well as US Ambassador to The Bahamas”.

Mr Walker’s background includes a celebrated career in college football, the NFL, Olympic bobsledding, and mixed martial arts. His biography also noted his role as national spokesperson for the Patriot Support Programme, through which he visited military bases to advocate for mental health, sharing his own experience to emphasise that “there is no shame asking for help: I did”.

From 2017 to 2021, Mr Walker served as co-chairman of the President’s Council on Sports, Fitness and Nutrition. He also led National Health Through Fitness Day for over 18 years, working to promote physical education by connecting advocates with lawmakers.

His recent political experience includes his candidacy for a US Senate seat in Georgia in 2022, which ended in defeat amid allegations of domestic abuse and a report that he paid for a girlfriend’s abortion despite his strong anti-abortion stance.

The US ambassador post in The Bahamas has been vacant for 13 years. The last confirmed ambassador was Nicole Avant, who served from 2009 to 2011. Since then, several nominations have stalled: President Obama’s pick, Cassandra Butts, died before her confirmation; President Trump’s nominees Doug Manchester and William Douglass both withdrew or had their nominations pulled before confirmation. President Biden’s previous nominee, Calvin Smyre, announced in 2023, was never confirmed.

Mr Walker’s nomination must now move through the Senate confirmation process before the US can fill its long-vacant top diplomatic post in Nassau.