Envoys for the United States of America, Panama and Myanmar will present their credentials to the Governor-General, The Rt Hon Dame Patsy Reddy, at Government House in Wellington on Wednesday (Wednesday 28 June, 2017).
The ceremony, which will include a Māori ceremonial challenge and a military guard of honour provided by the Royal New Zealand Airforce, begins at 11am.
The Ambassador of the United States of America, His Excellency Mr Scott Brown practised as a lawyer before beginning his career in public service. He was Massachusetts State representative and served in the US Senate for three years. He also had a distinguished career in his country’s National Guard, reaching the rank of Colonel and worked as a contributor and analyst for Fox News. Mr Brown is based in Wellington.
The Ambassador of the Republic of Panama, His Excellency Dr Alfredo Alberto Spiegel Aponte was a dentist and orthodontist, and a Professor of Dental Radiology before becoming a managing partner in a number of financial institutions. He was appointed to his first diplomatic posting in 2014. Mr Spiegel Aponte is based in Singapore.
The Ambassador of the Republic of the Union of Myanmar, His Excellency Mr Tha Aung Nyun is a career diplomat, joining his country’s public service in 1979. He has held postings in Singapore, Washington D.C, Geneva, Kuala Lumpur and Pretoria. Mr Nyun is based in Canberra.