The United States has maintained a consular presence in New Zealand since 1838. The first consul was James Reddy Clendon. Born in England, Clendon was a ship owner and merchant who bought land and settled in the Bay of Islands, New Zealand. In 1838 he was appointed by the federal government of the United States as consul for New Zealand. He was based at his property at Okiato, which in 1840 became the capital and was renamed Russell (not to be confused with present-day Russell). He held this position until 1841.
On January 13, 2026 President Donald Trump nominated businessman Jared Novelly to serve as United States Ambassador to New Zealand and Samoa. He was confirmed by the Senate on May 18, 2026 and began his tenure as Ambassador on July 1, 2026.https://nz.usembassy.gov/ambassador-jared-novelly-presents-credentials/
The Ambassador to New Zealand is also accredited to Samoa though resident in Wellington.
List of United States ambassadors to New Zealand Name and title Presentation ofcredentials Termination ofmission Patrick J. Hurley, Envoy April 24, 1942 August 12, 1942 William C. Burdett, Envoy July 8, 1943 January 14, 1944 Kenneth S. Patton, Envoy August 15, 1944 Oct 22, 1945 Avra M. Warren, Envoy February 27, 1946 Jul 15, 1947 Robert M. Scotten, Envoy April 7, 1948 December 22, 1948 Robert M. Scotten, Ambassador December 22, 1948 February 1, 1955 Robert C. Hendrickson, Ambassador February 16, 1955 November 20, 1956 Francis H. Russell, Ambassador June 5, 1957 November 28, 1960 Anthony B. Akers, Ambassador July 18, 1961 August 25, 1963 Herbert B. Powell, Ambassador October 23, 1963 February 28, 1967 John F. Henning, Ambassador April 5, 1967 September 9, 1969 Kenneth Franzheim II, Ambassador October 7, 1969 November 1, 1972 Chalmers B. Wood, Chargé d'Affaires ad interim November 1972 April 1974 Armistead I. Selden, Jr., Ambassador April 22, 1974 April 23, 1979 Anne Clark Martindell, Ambassador August 28, 1979 May 7, 1981 H. Monroe Browne, Ambassador August 11, 1981 November 1, 1985 Paul Matthews Cleveland, Ambassador January 10, 1986 April 28, 1989 Della M. Newman, Ambassador October 25, 1989 December 21, 1992 David Walker, Chargé d'Affaires ad interim December 21, 1992 August 1993 Sylvia Stanfield, Chargé d'Affaires ad interim August 1993 May 10, 1994 Josiah Horton Beeman, Ambassador May 10, 1994 December 9, 1999 Carol Moseley Braun, Ambassador December 15, 1999 March 1, 2001 Philip Wall, Chargé d'Affaires ad interim March 1, 2001 October 12, 2001 Charles J. Swindells, Ambassador October 12, 2001 August 21, 2005 David R. Burnett, Chargé d'Affaires ad interim August 22, 2005 November 8, 2005 William McCormick, Ambassador November 9, 2005 December 20, 2008 David J. Keegan, Chargé d'Affaires ad interim December 20, 2008 August 21, 2009 David Huebner, Ambassador December 4, 2009 January 17, 2014 Mark Gilbert, Ambassador February 9, 2015 January 20, 2017 Candy Green, Chargé d'Affaires ad interim January 20, 2017 June 25, 2017 Scott Brown, Ambassador July 27, 2017 December 20, 2020 Kevin Covert, Chargé d'Affaires ad interim December 20, 2020 December 2, 2021 Tom Udall December 2, 2021 January 14, 2025 David Gehrenbeck, Chargé d'Affaires ad interim January 15, 2025 July 1, 2026 Jared Novelly July 1, 2026 Present
See also Embassy of the United States, Wellington New Zealand - United States relations Samoa - United States relations Foreign relations of New Zealand Foreign relations of Samoa Ambassadors of the United States Contents of the United States diplomatic cables leak (New Zealand)
References
United States Department of State: Background notes on New Zealand United States Department of State: Background notes on Samoa
External links United States Department of State: Chiefs of Mission for New Zealand United States Department of State: Chiefs of Mission for Samoa United States Department of State: New Zealand United States Department of State: Samoa United States Embassy in Wellington