Mark Gilbert

Mark Gilbert
Mark Gilbert
Born	August 22, 1956 (age 70); Atlanta, Georgia, U.S.
Occupation(s)	Baseball player, investment banker, diplomat
Years active	1978–1986 (baseball), post-1986 (finance), 2015–2017 (ambassador)
Known for	Major League Baseball outfielder; United States Ambassador to New Zealand and Samoa

Mark David Gilbert (born August 22, 1956) is a retired American outfielder who played in Major League Baseball and later served as the United States Ambassador to New Zealand and Samoa from 2015 until 2017.

Gilbert’s MLB tenure included playing for the Chicago White Sox during the 1985 season. Following his baseball career, he embarked on a profession in investment banking.

In 2013, President Barack Obama put forward Gilbert’s nomination as United States Ambassador to New Zealand and Samoa, with the U.S. Senate confirming his appointment on December 12, 2014.

Early and personal life

Born into a Jewish family in Atlanta, Georgia, Gilbert grew up in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania before relocating to Pompano Beach, Florida in 1973, where his family operated a furniture business. His father, Herbert, was a professional baseball player within the Chicago White Sox organization, reaching the level of Triple A, while his grandfather Joseph Gilbert played semi-professional baseball and received an offer from the 1919 Philadelphia Athletics.

Gilbert is married to Nancy Gilbert, who owns The Masorti Travel Bureau — the agency responsible for organizing the inaugural trip of Birthright Israel, a program providing complimentary trips to Israel for Jewish students. The couple has two daughters and lives in Boca Raton, Florida. Additionally, Gilbert served three terms as President of B'nai Torah Congregation located in Boca Raton.

High school and college

During his high school years at Churchill High School in Pennsylvania and later at Pine Crest High School in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, Gilbert demonstrated athletic prowess across baseball, basketball (playing as a point guard), and track. He earned recognition as a High School All American in basketball and was named all-state in baseball.

He completed a bachelor's degree in finance at Florida State University. In his senior year on the baseball team, he achieved a .322 batting average with 48 stolen bases for the Seminoles. He also competed for one season with the Florida State Seminoles basketball team.

Professional baseball career

Selected by the Chicago Cubs in the 14th round of the 1978 Major League Baseball draft, Gilbert signed with them that summer. In his rookie season, he hit .338 (ranking 5th in Class A-New York-Pennsylvania League) with 83 runs scored (leading the league) and 35 stolen bases (second place) while playing for the Geneva Cubs. The following year, he posted a .314 batting average (2nd in Class A Midwest League) and swiped 50 bases (third) with the Quad Cities Cubs.

On October 12, 1979, Gilbert was traded to the Cincinnati Reds. Between 1980 and 1982, he played for the Waterbury Reds, achieving a .300 batting average along with 41 stolen bases (fourth in the Class AA Eastern League). In 1983 and 1984, he competed at the AAA level with the Indianapolis Indians and the Wichita Aeros, batting .280 while stealing 55 bases (third place) and leading that league with 77 walks. After becoming a free agent on October 11, 1984, he signed with the Chicago White Sox on December 25.

Gilbert was called up from Triple-A Buffalo Bisons in July 1985 and appeared in seven games for the White Sox, collecting six hits. Following a right knee injury sustained while diving for a line drive, he returned to minor league play and was granted free agency on October 15. He retired after undergoing knee surgery in February 1986.

Driven by his ambition to appear in the Baseball Encyclopedia, Gilbert persevered through more than seven years in minor league baseball. Reflecting on his career in 1992, he regarded it as rewarding due to enriching experiences and camaraderie with teammates such as Carlton Fisk and Harold Baines.

When Gilbert was nominated as U.S. Ambassador in 2013, former manager Tony La Russa commended him for his intellect, dedication to teamwork, competitive spirit, and relentless pursuit of excellence.

Finance career

Following his baseball tenure, Gilbert transitioned into investment banking, working at Drexel Burnham Lambert in Boca Raton between 1986 and 1989. Subsequently, he held the position of senior vice president in equities at Goldman Sachs’ Miami office from 1989 until 1996. In 1996, he joined Lehman Brothers in West Palm Beach and continued with the firm through its evolution into Barclays Wealth.

Political fundraising

Gilbert acted as a trustee on John Kerry’s national finance committee during the 2004 election cycle. Starting in 2007, he emerged as a prominent fundraiser and early advocate for then-Senator Barack Obama, taking on the role of deputy national finance chairman for the Democratic National Committee. Throughout both of Obama’s presidential campaigns, Gilbert successfully raised $1.23 million between 2011 and 2012, accumulating a total of $3.36 million since 2007.

Ambassadorship

On October 30, 2013, President Obama put forward Gilbert’s nomination for the position of United States Ambassador to New Zealand and Samoa. The Senate confirmed his appointment through a voice vote on December 12, 2014.

According to State Department records, no other former major league baseball player has served as an official ambassador. While figures such as Dennis Martínez, Cal Ripken Jr., and Barry Larkin have participated in diplomatic roles as envoys or goodwill ambassadors, Gilbert is distinguished as the first credentialed ambassador with a background in major league baseball.

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