List of ambassadors of the United States to Tonga

The United States ambassador to Tonga is the official representative of the government of the United States to the government of Tonga. The ambassador is concurrently the ambassador to Fiji, Kiribati, Nauru, and Tuvalu, while residing in Suva, Fiji.

Ambassador of the United States to Tonga
Seal of the United States Department of State
Incumbent
Marie C. Damour
since December 6, 2022
NominatorThe President of the United States
Inaugural holderKenneth Franzheim II
as Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary
FormationOctober 4, 1972
WebsiteU.S. Embassy - Suva

Ambassadors

U.S. diplomatic terms

Career FSO
After 1915, The United States Department of State began classifying ambassadors as career Foreign Service Officers (FSOs) for those who have served in the Foreign Service for a specified amount of time.

Political appointee
A person who is not a career foreign service officer, but is appointed by the president (often as a reward to political friends).

Appointed
The date that the ambassador took the oath of office; also known as "commissioning". It follows confirmation of a presidential appointment by the Senate, or a Congressional recess appointment by the president. In the case of a recess appointment, the ambassador requires subsequent confirmation by the Senate to remain in office.

Presented credentials
The date that the ambassador presented his letter of credence to the head of state or appropriate authority of the receiving nation. At this time the ambassador officially becomes the representative of his country. This would normally occur a short time after the ambassador's arrival on station. The host nation may reject the ambassador by not receiving the ambassador's letter, but this occurs only rarely.

Terminated mission
Usually the date that the ambassador left the country. In some cases a letter of recall is presented, ending the ambassador's commission, either as a means of diplomatic protest or because the diplomat is being reassigned elsewhere and replaced by another envoy.

Chargé d'affaires
The person in charge of the business of the embassy when there is no ambassador commissioned to the host country.

Ad interim
Latin phrase meaning "for the time being", "in the meantime".
Name Title Appointed Presented credentials Terminated mission Notes
Robert Woltz Skiff – Career FSO Chargé d'Affaires ad interim November 1, 1971 N/A November 6, 1972
Kenneth Franzheim II – Political appointee Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary February 15, 1972 May 22, 1972 November 6, 1972
Armistead Inge Selden – Political appointee March 1, 1974 April 17, 1974 April 10, 1978
John Peter Condon – Career FSO March 2, 1978 April 11, 1978 July 27, 1980
William Bodde – Political appointee June 30, 1980 August 12, 1980 August 15, 1981
Fred J. Eckert – Political appointee February 11, 1982 February 25, 1982 May 7, 1984
Carl Edward Dillery – Career FSO September 27, 1984 November 1, 1984 July 15, 1987
Leonard Rochwarger – Political appointee September 28, 1987 March 11, 1988 August 31, 1989
Evelyn Irene Hoopes Teegan – Political appointee October 10, 1989 November 21, 1989 March 5, 1993
Robert Woltz Skiff – Career FSO Chargé d'Affaires ad interim June 1995 N/A December 19, 1995
Don Lee Gevirtz – Political appointee Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary December 19, 1995 February 2, 1996 September 28, 1997
M. Osman Siddique – Political appointee August 9, 1999 September 13, 1999 June 30, 2001
Ronald Keith McMullen – Career FSO Chargé d'Affaires ad interim June 30, 2001 N/A June 2002
Hugh M. Neighbor – Career FSO June 2002 N/A January 9, 2003
David L. Lyon – Career FSO Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary November 15, 2002 January 9, 2003 July 23, 2005
Larry Miles Dinger – Career FSO June 27, 2005 August 23, 2005 July 5, 2008
C. Steven McGann – Career FSO October 6, 2008 November 24, 2008 October 13, 2011
Frankie A. Reed – Career FSO August 4, 2011 October 13, 2011 January 5, 2015
Judith Beth Cefkin – Career FSO December 11, 2014 February 3, 2015 February 25, 2018
Michael B. Goldman – Career FSO Chargé d'Affaires ad interim February 25, 2018 N/A December 23, 2019
Joseph Cella Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary September 26, 2019 December 23, 2019 January 20, 2021
Tony Greubel Chargé d'Affaires ad interim January 20, 2021 N/A November 23, 2022
Marie C. Damour Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary August 4, 2022 December 6, 2022[1] Incumbent

See also

References
  1. https://fj.usembassy.gov/u-s-ambassador-to-tonga-marie-damour-presents-her-credentials/
  • United States Department of State: Background notes on Tonga
  • Public Domain This article incorporates public domain material from U.S. Bilateral Relations Fact Sheets. United States Department of State.
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