Carolina Barco

Carolina served a Colombia’s Foreign Minister from 2002 to 2006, as Ambassador to the United States from 2006 to 2010 and as Colombia’s Ambassador to the Kingdom of Spain from 2019 to 2020. Previously, Carolina was a consultant for eight years with the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) involved in creating and implementing the Emerging and Sustainable Cities Program) in over 60 mid-size cities in Latin-America and the Caribbean to deliver more sustainable financial, social and environmental development.

In Colombia, Carolina was the Director of City Planning of Bogotá, implementing the city’s first ten-year regional and urban plan. She headed several UNDP programs in Housing at the Ministry of Economic Development, and the Historic Towns Program at the Culture Ministry. At the University of the Andes, Carolina was the Director of the research program on the development of Bogotá and its surrounding region.

Carolina serves on several boards, including the Council of the Fundación Santa Fé de Bogotá, an outstanding University Hospital, and the International Advisory Council of the Instituto de Empresa in Madrid. Carolina was awarded Colombia’s Gran Orden al Mérito Nacional; the France’s Légion d’honneur  (Commander) and  received the International Award of the American Planning Association and Honorary award of the Colombian Architecture Association.

Carolina received a BA from Wellesley College, a Master’s in City Planning from the Graduate School of Design at Harvard University and an Executive MBA from the Instituto de Empresa. She was a Fellow at the SPURS Progam at MIT.

Carolina Barco

Board of Directors (EMERITUS)