Former Florida Lt. Gov. Jennifer Carroll, a trailblazing Northeast Florida politician who became the state’s first Black lieutenant governor, has been nominated by President Donald Trump to serve as the next U.S. ambassador to Trinidad and Tobago.
If confirmed by the U.S. Senate, Carroll would add another historic achievement to a career marked by breaking barriers, becoming one of the highest-ranking Black women from Northeast Florida to represent the United States on the world stage.
The nomination carries added significance for Carroll, who was born in Trinidad and Tobago before immigrating to the United States as a child. She would return to her country of birth as America’s top diplomat, overseeing U.S. relations with the Caribbean nation. She was the first Trinidadian American elected to statewide office in Florida.
Carroll made history in 2010 when she was elected Florida’s first Black lieutenant governor, the first woman to hold the office, and the first Trinidadian American elected to statewide office in Florida. She served alongside Gov. Rick Scott until resigning in 2013 after her name surfaced during an investigation into Allied Veterans of the World, a charity for which she had previously worked as a public relations consultant. Carroll was never charged with a crime, and the Florida Department of Law Enforcement later concluded she had not violated any laws.
A Navy veteran and former member of the Florida House of Representatives, Carroll represented parts of Northeast Florida before being elected lieutenant governor. Since leaving office, she has remained active in Republican politics, serving as a political commentator, mentoring candidates and advising businesses on government affairs. In 2025, she joined VisionFirst Advisors as a senior adviser.
Carroll’s educational background spans multiple institutions and reflects her progression from military service to public leadership. She earned an Associate of Arts degree from Leeward Community College in 1981 before completing a bachelor’s degree in political science at the University of New Mexico in 1985 while participating in the U.S. Navy’s Enlisted Commissioning Program. Carroll later earned a Master of Business Administration from St. Leo University in 2008. Her academic achievements complemented a distinguished 20-year Navy career, during which she rose from enlisted jet mechanic to lieutenant commander before entering politics,
Based on recent ambassadorial nominations, confirmations can take anywhere from two to six months, although some move more quickly and others can remain pending much longer depending on the Senate’s workload and political priorities. If her nomination follows a typical timeline, a confirmation vote could occur sometime between late summer and early fall 2026, though no date has been scheduled.
For Jacksonville and Northeast Florida, Carroll’s ambassador nomination represents another milestone in a career defined by public service and historic firsts. If confirmed, she would become one of the region’s most prominent Black leaders to serve in a senior diplomatic post, further expanding the influence of Northeast Florida on the international stage.
