The United States ambassador to Palau is the official representative of the president of the United States to the head of state of Palau.

Until 1994 Palau had been a part of the United Nations Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands, administered by the United States. On May 25, 1994, the United Nations Security Council ended the trusteeship for the Palau district, and Palau became independent on October 1, 1994. The U.S. recognized Palau on the same day. Diplomatic relations between the U.S. and Palau were established on December 6, 1996, when U.S. Ambassador to the Philippines Thomas C. Hubbard was concurrently accredited to Palau and presented his credentials; he remained resident at Manila. The ambassadors to the Philippines continued to represent the U.S. until October 10, 2004, when the U.S. Embassy in Koror was established, with Deborah L. Kingsland as Chargé d’Affaires. The first ranking ambassador was commissioned to Koror in 2010.

Ambassadors and chiefs of mission +NameTitleAppointedPresented credentialsTerminated mission NotesThomas C. Hubbard – Career FSOAlso accredited to the Philippines and resident in Manila.Ambassador Extraordinary and PlenipotentiaryJuly 2, 1996December 6, 1996Left Manila July 24, 2000Francis J. Ricciardone, Jr. – Career FSOFebruary 21, 2002July 6, 2002October 10, 2004The U.S. was represented by a series of Chargé d'Affaires 2004–2010.Helen Reed-Rowe – Career FSOSeptember 27, 2010September 30, 2010July 26, 2013Amy J. Hyatt – Career FSODecember 12, 2014March 10, 2015February 12, 2020John Hennessey-Niland - Career FSOFebruary 14, 2020March 6, 2020September 9, 2022James Boughner - Career FSOChargé d'Affaires a.i.September 9, 2022N/ASeptember 29, 2023Joel EhrendreichAmbassador Extraordinary and PlenipotentiaryJuly 27, 2023September 29, 2023May 4, 2026Shankar Rao - Career FSOChargé d'Affaires a.i.May 5, 2026N/AIncumbent

Notes

See also Palau – United States relations Foreign relations of Palau Ambassadors of the United States

References United States Department of State: Background notes on Palau

External links United States Department of State: Chiefs of Mission for Palau United States Department of State: Palau United States Embassy in Koror