The first female US Ambassador to Vietnam

VHO - Jennifer Wicks McNamara has just been confirmed by the US Senate to serve as the US Ambassador to Vietnam.

Jennifer Wicks McNamara has been confirmed by the Senate as the U.S. Ambassador to Vietnam. Photo: U.S. Department of State

According to information on the US Congress website, Jennifer Wicks McNamara was confirmed by the Senate with 46 votes in favor and 43 against, becoming the first female US Ambassador to Vietnam. The most recent US Ambassador to Vietnam was Marc Knapper, whose term ended on January 18.

According to US regulations, after being confirmed by the Senate, the ambassador will travel to the host country to present their credentials to the head of state and officially begin their term. The exact date of Jennifer Wicks McNamara's arrival in Vietnam to assume her duties is currently unknown.

Jennifer Wicks McNamara is a professional civil servant with nearly 31 years of experience working in the U.S. government .

According to the State Department's State Department's Accreditation Notice for Mission Chief Candidates, issued on October 29, 2025, she began her career in the U.S. military, having been stationed in South Korea before holding various positions in Hawaii and Virginia.

In 2003, she joined the U.S. Department of State and held various positions, including Chief of Staff for the Office of Foreign Resource Assistance, Senior Advisor on Legislative and Public Affairs to the Deputy Secretary of State, and Special Assistant to the Assistant Secretary of State for Executive Affairs.

Since November 2012, she has served as Director of the Office of Presidential Appointments at the U.S. Department of State and has served under four U.S. presidents. In this role, she regularly works with high-ranking officials at the White House and the State Department.

Jennifer Wicks McNamara holds a Master of Science degree in National Security Strategy from the National War College and a Master of Public Administration degree from American University.

In her statement at her nomination hearing before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee on December 11, 2025, Jennifer Wicks McNamara affirmed that Vietnam is one of the most important partners of the United States in the Indo-Pacific region.

"President Donald Trump and Secretary of State Marco Rubio have clearly affirmed the geopolitical and strategic importance of the Indo-Pacific region, in which Vietnam is one of America's most important partners in the region," she said.

She also emphasized: "A strong, independent, and resilient Vietnam is in America's best interests."

According to Jennifer Wicks McNamara, the Vietnam-US relationship has developed strongly since the two countries established diplomatic relations 30 years ago and upgraded to a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership in 2023. If confirmed, she would prioritize promoting US interests in the bilateral relationship, focusing on defense and security cooperation, trade and investment, and people-to-people exchanges.

She described the relationship between the two countries as developing dynamically in many areas, from security and defense to trade, investment, and people-to-people diplomacy.

She argued that the foundation of Vietnam-US defense cooperation lies in efforts to address the consequences of war, including demining and dioxin remediation activities in Da Nang and Bien Hoa (Dong Nai).

Jennifer Wicks McNamara also praised Vietnam's support in the search for and repatriation of the remains of missing American soldiers.

In addition, she stated that Vietnam and the United States are expanding cooperation to ensure regional stability and combat transnational crime, including online fraud.

She also emphasized that bilateral trade between Vietnam and the US has grown strongly in recent years, and assessed the potential for economic cooperation between the two countries as very large.

She stated that she would promote market access for American goods and services, support the development of diversified and resilient supply chains, and encourage Vietnamese investment in the United States.

Source: https://baovanhoa.vn/the-gioi/nu-dai-su-my-dau-tien-tai-viet-nam-229847.html