FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE 
March 2, 2026 
Contact: Gemma Givens 
press@thedialogue.org    

Washington, DC – The Inter-American Dialogue is pleased to welcome Ambassador Brian A. Nichols, Ambassador Anthony W. J. Phillips-Spencer, former Minister Alfonso Prat-Gay, and Ambassador Todd D. Robinson to its Board of Directors. Their appointments bring distinguished expertise in diplomacy, defense, and economic policy to the organization.   

“We are honored to welcome these four esteemed leaders to the Dialogue’s Board of Directors,” said Laura Chinchilla, co-chair of the Inter-American Dialogue’s Board of Directors and former President of Costa Rica. “Each brings deep regional expertise and a proven commitment to public service. Their perspectives will be invaluable as the Dialogue continues to serve as a trusted forum for rigorous analysis and hemispheric cooperation.” 

Brian A. Nichols (United States) served as Assistant Secretary of State for Western Hemisphere Affairs and U.S. Ambassador to Zimbabwe and Peru. He currently serves on the boards of First Quantum Minerals, a global mining company, and the Pan American Development Foundation, an Organization of American States-affiliated nonprofit focused on human development in Latin America and the Caribbean. He teaches at the Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies in Washington, DC. Nichols joined the Dialogue as a Member in 2026. 

Anthony W. J. Phillips-Spencer (Trinidad and Tobago) is a retired brigadier general, a distinguished soldier, scholar, and diplomat from the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago, with more than forty-four years of diverse national and international public service experience. Following a highly decorated thirty-five-year military career, he retired in 2016 as Vice Chief of Defense Staff of the Trinidad and Tobago Defense Force. He subsequently served as Trinidad and Tobago’s Ambassador to the United States and Mexico, and as Permanent Representative to the Organization of American States. Phillips-Spencer joined the Dialogue as a Member in 2025. 

Alfonso Prat-Gay (Argentina) is a prominent economist who served as Minister of Treasury and Finance of Argentina, President of the Central Bank of Argentina, and National Deputy in Congress. As Finance Minister, he ended ten years of sovereign default and designed a record-breaking tax amnesty that formalized assets worth 20% of GDP, earning him the 2016 Euromoney Finance Minister of the Year Award. As Central Bank President, he reduced inflation from 40% to 4% while sustaining 8% economic growth, winning the 2004 Euromoney Central Bank Governor of the Year Award. Prat-Gay joined the Dialogue as a Member in 2010. 

Todd D. Robinson (United States) is a career U.S. diplomat with the rank of Career Minister who served as Assistant Secretary for the Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs at the U.S. State Department from 2021 to 2025. His previous roles include U.S. Ambassador to Guatemala, Chargé d’Affaires in Venezuela, Director of the International Student Management Office at the National Defense University, and Senior Advisor for Central America in the Bureau of Western Hemisphere Affairs. Robinson became a Dialogue member in 2026.  

The new board members bring diverse experience and insights to the Dialogue. Their guidance will help shape thoughtful analysis and informed discussion on the region’s most pressing political, economic, and social issues. 

About the Inter-American Dialogue   
Founded in 1982, the Inter-American Dialogue is the premier center for policy analysis, exchange, and communication on issues in Western Hemisphere affairs. Headquartered in Washington, DC, with a network of experts and fellows across the Americas, the Dialogue convenes global leaders and institutions to advance democratic governance, shared prosperity, social equity, and sustainable development across the region.   

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