Belinda Jackson farrier, BOARD MEMBER

Belinda Jackson Farrier is a senior executive and board member with over 20 years of experience in foreign affairs and the private sector. She is the President and Founder of Sweetgrass Advisory Group, LLC, a bespoke executive coaching and consulting firm.

As a former career member of the Senior Foreign Service, Belinda's work as a U.S. diplomat largely focused on public affairs and crisis management. Her overseas assignments included Rwanda, El Salvador, Togo, and Peru with temporary assignments in Cuba, Ghana, and Ecuador. In Washington, Belinda served as a Desk Officer for Kuwait and Bahrain, a Western European Media Relations Officer, and a Special Assistant in the Office of the Special Representative for Afghanistan and Pakistan. She also worked in various capacities in the Department of State’s Operations Center and the White House Situation Room, including serving as the first African American woman to lead the prestigious Department of State Operations Center.

During her diplomatic career, Belinda earned various awards and distinctions including Superior and Meritorious Honor awards. She represented the Department of State as part of the 2018-19 International Women’s Forum Leadership Foundation Fellowship.

After retiring from the Foreign Service, Belinda joined Google as the Director for Global Rapid Response in YouTube Trust and Safety. She led a global team of Trust and Safety professionals based in the United States, Singapore, and Ireland. While at Google, Belinda's commitment to leadership and excellence was recognized when YouTube's CEO nominated her for the Hub - Google's internal leadership program preparing the next generation of Google VPs and senior leaders for future challenges.

Belinda earned a B.A in Political Science from Spelman College and an M.A. in International Relations from the Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs at Syracuse University. She also earned a certificate in Japanese language studies from Nanzan University in Nagoya, Japan. She studied Japanese, French, and Spanish. She is a member of the board of directors of Five Talents, a non-profit providing financial literacy to women in Southeast Asia and East Africa.

Belinda lives in the DC metro area and enjoys cooking, reading, and visiting national parks with her family.