New Faces in Colombia and Mexico
A team at Neighbors International, led by Managing Director Mary Claire Whitaker, has been selected as the new international representatives in Mexico and Colombia.
GDEcD has maintained representation in these markets for more than a decade, providing Georgia’s small and medium-sized businesses with localized expertise that makes doing business more seamless.
“Georgia’s international representatives are key to serving Georgia’s small business exporters by providing on the ground insights and opportunities that these companies otherwise may not be able to access,” explained GDEcD Deputy Commissioner of Trade Lizann Grupalo.
Meet the team
The team at Neighbors brings a wealth of experience in the technology, manufacturing, and services sectors that align with Georgia’s broad industry base:
- As Managing Director of Colombia and Mexico, Mary Claire Whitaker will lead the team to support Georgia-based exporters in Colombia and Mexico. Founder of Neighbors International, Mary Claire’s marketing career began in media planning at an agency where she supported brands like Alltel, UPS, Burt’s Bees, and Thomasville Furniture.
- Based in Bogota, Riley Morales serves as the Trade Representative in Colombia, where she served as a community economic development facilitator with the Peace Corps for two years.
- Miriam Villegas brings two decades of professional trade experience into her role as the Trade Representative in Mexico. Her background includes specialized experience in the medical device, pharmaceutical, machinery, and consumer products industries as well as prior experience with the Korea Trade-Investment Promotion Agency in Mexico.
In addition to market research from the Atlanta-based Trade team, GDEcD’s international representatives provide localized guidance on business practices and in-market customers. See which markets are supported by in-market representatives.