Nathaniel Barnes is a Liberia

Liberia

Liberia , officially the Republic of Liberia, is a country in West Africa. It is bordered by Sierra Leone on the west, Guinea on the north and Côte d'Ivoire on the east. Liberia's coastline is composed of mostly mangrove forests while the more sparsely populated inland consists of forests that open...

n politician and member of the Liberian Destiny Party

Liberian Destiny Party

The Liberian Destiny Party is a political party in Liberia. It fielded candidates in the 11 October 2005 elections.LDP candidate Nathaniel Barnes won 1.0% of the vote in the presidential poll. The party failed to win any seats in the Senate or House of Representatives....

 (LDP).

Early life and Educational Achievements

Born Milton Nathaniel Barnes in Monrovia

Monrovia

Monrovia is the capital city of the West African nation of Liberia. Located on the Atlantic Coast at Cape Mesurado, it lies geographically within Montserrado County, but is administered separately...

, Liberia. He graduated from High School at the College of West Africa

College of West Africa

The College of West Africa is a Methodist high school in Monrovia, Liberia. The school was opened in 1839 , making it one of the oldest European-style schools in Africa...

 before spending a term at the University of Liberia

University of Liberia

The University of Liberia is a publicly funded institution of higher learning located in Monrovia, Liberia. Authorized by the national government in 1851, the school opened in 1863 as Liberia College and became a university in 1951. The school is one of the oldest institutions of higher learning...

. He worked as an intern in Liberia's banking system before eventually going to the United States

United States

The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

 for college. He earned a degree in the United States at Rider University

Rider University

Rider University is a private, coeducational and nonsectarian university located chiefly in Lawrenceville, in Mercer County, New Jersey, United States...

 in 1978 and an MBA from Pace University

Pace University

Pace University is an American private, co-educational, and comprehensive multi-campus university in the New York metropolitan area with campuses in New York City and Westchester County, New York.-Programs:...

 in 1979. On May 15, 2009, Barnes received an honorary Doctorate of Laws degree from Rider University in Lawrenceville, NJ. Barnes received his award from Dr. Mordechai Rozanski, President of the University.

Political career

Barnes was the finance minister

Finance minister

The finance minister is a cabinet position in a government.A minister of finance has many different jobs in a government. He or she helps form the government budget, stimulate the economy, and control finances...

 of Liberia under Charles Taylor from 1999-2001. Running as the LDP presidential candidate in the 11 October 2005 elections

Liberian elections, 2005

The 2005 Liberian general election was held on 11 October 2005, with a runoff election for the presidency held on 8 November of that year. The presidency, as well as all seats in the House of Representatives and Senate were up for election. The election marked the end of the political transition...

, Barnes placed 12th out of 22 candidates, receiving 1.0% of the vote. In 2006, Barnes was appointed Liberia's Ambassador and Permanent Representative to the United Nations

United Nations

The United Nations is an international organization whose stated aims are facilitating cooperation in international law, international security, economic development, social progress, human rights, and achievement of world peace...

.