Tatiana Copeland

Tatiana Copeland has a diverse international background. Her personal story began in Dresden, Germany, where she was born to Russian parents. After living in Denmark for several years, her family emigrated to Argentina, where she would spend most of her childhood before coming to the United States to attend college. She received her Bachelor of Science degree from the University of California at Los Angeles, majoring in accounting, graduating Phi Beta Kappa and summa cum laude. She went on to receive her M.B.A. from the University of California at Berkeley. She fluently speaks English, Russian, French, German, Italian, and Spanish.

Copeland is the Proprietor and Chairman of Bouchaine Vineyards in Napa Valley, California, and is involved with several boards and non-profits, including the Delaware Art Museum, Wilmington’s Grand Opera House, the Delaware Symphony Orchestra and Festival Napa Valley. She is very involved in the music world, as the composer and pianist Sergei Rachmaninoff was her mother’s uncle, and she was named after his daughter Tatiana. Copeland is also “Godmother” of the Kalmar Nyckel, Delaware’s Tall Ship. Appointed by President Biden, she was a member of the Board of Trustees for the Kennedy Center from 2021 to 2024 and is a Cabinet Member for the White House Historical Association. She was knighted twice: once by His Royal Highness, the King of Sweden, with the Royal Order of the Polar Star, and again by His Imperial Highness, The Grand Duke Vladimir of Russia, with The Order of St. Michael the Archangel. 

She resides in Wilmington, Delaware, and shared a deep commitment to the arts and animal welfare, particularly the well-being of dogs, with her late husband, Gerret Copeland. The Copeland Center for Animal Welfare was established in partnership with the Brandywine Valley SPCA. Her animal welfare support also extends to Canine Partners for Life and the Delaware Humane Society. She has received numerous awards for her philanthropy, including The Order of the First State, the State of Delaware’s highest honor, from Governor Jack Markell; the Josiah Marvel Cup Award, the highest honor bestowed by the Delaware State Chamber to a Delawarean who has made an outstanding contribution to the State; and the Delaware History Makers Award in recognition of her longstanding commitments toward numerous non-profit organizations in Delaware. She also received an Honorary Doctorate degree presented by President Biden in the field of Humanities from the University of Delaware in 2022.