Office of the Ambassador

Kristie A. Kenney

 

Ambassador Kristie A. Kenney is a career United States diplomat who has served as the first female U.S. Ambassador to the Philippines since March 2006. She began her career in 1981 and has served in Jamaica, Switzerland, Argentina, and Ecuador. Ambassador Kenney also served as the State Department Executive Secretary in Washington, D.C. and on the National Security Council at the White House. Immediately prior to her appointment to the Philippines, she served as the U.S. Ambassador to the Republic of Ecuador. Fluent in Spanish, she traveled throughout the country to meet Ecuadorians from all walks of life and oversaw a wide variety of American assistance projects. Ambassador Kenney has won several prominent awards for leadership.

A daughter of a retired public school teacher and a U.S. World War II veteran, Kristie Kenney hails from Washington, D.C. She obtained a master’s degree from Tulane University and a bachelor’s degree in political science from Clemson University. She is married to William R. Brownfield, who is currently the U.S. Ambassador to Colombia. They enjoy travel, hiking, tennis, basketball and spending time with their nieces and nephews. The two share their homes with three cats they rescued from an animal shelter – Emily, Junior, and Niles.

###