# List of ambassadors of the United States to New Zealand

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 July 16, 2021 President Joe Biden nominated former Senator Tom Udall to serve as United States Ambassador to New Zealand and Samoa. He was confirmed by the Senate on October 26, 2021 and the start of his tenure began on December 2, 2021.
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 of credentials | Termination of mission |
| 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 | Incumbent |