David Huebner (born 1960) is an international arbitrator based in Southern California. He previously served as the

United States Ambassador Ambassadors of the United States are persons nominated by the president to serve as the country's diplomatic representatives to foreign nations, international organizations, and as ambassadors-at-large. Under Article II, Section 2 of the U.S ...

New Zealand New Zealand ( mi, Aotearoa ) is an island country in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. It consists of two main landmasses—the North Island () and the South Island ()—and over 700 smaller islands. It is the sixth-largest island count ...

and

Samoa Samoa, officially the Independent State of Samoa; sm, Sāmoa, and until 1997 known as Western Samoa, is a Polynesian island country consisting of two main islands ( Savai'i and Upolu); two smaller, inhabited islands ( Manono and Apolima); ...

. He was the first openly gay ambassador in the Obama administration and the third openly gay ambassador in United States history. His tenure was marked by significant improvement in bilateral relations, with commentators observing that relations are stronger and closer than they have been in decades.http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/HL1210/S00153/usnz-councils-burst-of-activity.htm , Saturday, 27 October 2012 , US/NZ Council's burst of activity ,

Connie Lawn Constance Ellen Lawn (May 14, 1944 – April 2, 2018) was an American broadcast journalist. Lawn had a brief career in politics, working for a congressman and the 1968 Eugene McCarthy presidential campaign before entering journalism. She rep ...

Called an “excellent public face for the United States,” he has been widely praised as a successful Ambassador including for his accessible, inclusive approach, his emphasis on students and future leaders, and the innovative restructuring of his Embassies around social media and other nontraditional tools and approaches of diplomacy. Before being appointed Ambassador he worked as an international lawyer in

Los Angeles Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the List of municipalities in California, largest city in the U.S. state, state of California and the List of United States cities by population, sec ...

Shanghai Shanghai (; , , Standard Mandarin pronunciation: ) is one of the four direct-administered municipalities of the People's Republic of China (PRC). The city is located on the southern estuary of the Yangtze River, with the Huangpu River flowin ...

, and

New York City New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the most densely populated major city in the Un ...

, specializing in international arbitration and mediation. He is

licensed A license (or licence) is an official permission or permit to do, use, or own something (as well as the document of that permission or permit). A license is granted by a party (licensor) to another party (licensee) as an element of an agreeme ...

as an attorney in

California California is a state in the Western United States, located along the Pacific Coast. With nearly 39.2million residents across a total area of approximately , it is the most populous U.S. state and the 3rd largest by area. It is also the m ...

, New York, and in the

District of Columbia ) , image_skyline = , image_caption = Clockwise from top left: the Washington Monument and Lincoln Memorial on the National Mall, United States Capitol, Logan Circle, Jefferson Memorial, White House, Adams Morgan, ...

, and as a solicitor in

England England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Wales to its west and Scotland to its north. The Irish Sea lies northwest and the Celtic Sea to the southwest. It is separated from continental Europe b ...

and

Wales Wales ( cy, Cymru ) is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It is bordered by England to the east, the Irish Sea to the north and west, the Celtic Sea to the south west and the Bristol Channel to the south. It had a population in ...

Early life

Huebner was born in Mahanoy City,

Pennsylvania Pennsylvania (; ( Pennsylvania Dutch: )), officially the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, is a state spanning the Mid-Atlantic, Northeastern, Appalachian, and Great Lakes regions of the United States. It borders Delaware to its southeast, ...

, a small coal mining town in Schuylkill County. He attended Mahanoy Area High School after which he earned an A.B. degree ''summa cum laude'' from

Princeton University Princeton University is a private research university in Princeton, New Jersey. Founded in 1746 in Elizabeth as the College of New Jersey, Princeton is the fourth-oldest institution of higher education in the United States and one of the ...

's Woodrow Wilson School of Public and International Affairs. While at Princeton he was named a David Lawrence Scholar, served as president of Quadrangle Club, and was inducted into

Phi Beta Kappa The Phi Beta Kappa Society () is the oldest academic honor society in the United States, and the most prestigious, due in part to its long history and academic selectivity. Phi Beta Kappa aims to promote and advocate excellence in the liberal ...

.David Huebner Mediation Attorney , Mediation.com , Retrieved October 31, 2013 , http://www.mediation.com/memberprofile/david--huebner-90071-ac.aspx He earned his Juris Doctor degree at

Yale Law School Yale Law School (Yale Law or YLS) is the law school of Yale University, a private research university in New Haven, Connecticut. It was established in 1824 and has been ranked as the best law school in the United States by '' U.S. News & Worl ...

, where he served as

editor-in-chief An editor-in-chief (EIC), also known as lead editor or chief editor, is a publication's editorial leader who has final responsibility for its operations and policies. The highest-ranking editor of a publication may also be titled editor, managing ...

of the ''

Yale Journal on Regulation The ''Yale Journal on Regulation'' (JREG) is a biannual student-edited law review covering regulatory and administrative law published at Yale Law School. The journal publishes articles, essays, notes, and commentaries that cover a wide range of t ...

'', was director of the Street Law Project (which taught civics and basic law classes in local high schools), and was a member of the Yale AIDS Law Project, a student group that assisted with the publication of ''AIDS and the Law''. From 1984 to 1985, Huebner was on leave of absence from

Yale Yale University is a private research university in New Haven, Connecticut. Established in 1701 as the Collegiate School, it is the third-oldest institution of higher education in the United States and among the most prestigious in the wor ...

as a Henry Luce Scholar, serving as a special assistant to the Hon. Koji Kakizawa, a member of the lower house of Japan's Diet.

Legal career

After graduating from law school in 1986, Huebner moved to Los Angeles, California as a Fellow at the Center for Law in the Public Interest.Huebner Elected Chair of Law Revision Commission , California Law Revision Commission , August 28, 2006 , http://www.clrc.ca.gov/pub/Press/Press-Chair-Huebner-06.pdf A year later, he began his career in private legal practice at Irell & Manella.U.S. Department of State , Biography David Huebner , Retrieved October 30, 2013

/ref> In 1992, Huebner joined the international law firm Coudert Brothers where he specialized in international arbitration and corporate compliance work and served as managing partner of the Los Angeles office, on the global executive board, and for a term as global chairman and

chief executive officer A chief executive officer (CEO), also known as a central executive officer (CEO), chief administrator officer (CAO) or just chief executive (CE), is one of a number of corporate executives charged with the management of an organization especial ...

. In September 2005, he joined Sheppard, Mullin, Richter & Hampton LLP, moving to Shanghai to open the firm's first overseas office. He served as the firm's chief representative in China and managing partner of the Shanghai office, where he specialized in international arbitration, corporate compliance, and trade until leaving to become Ambassador. In April 2014, Huebner joined the law firm Arnold & Porter LLP as a partner in its international arbitration, public international law, energy, and national security practices. He represented governments and corporations in international disputes, trade, and investment matters with an emphasis on intellectual property-intensive sectors as well as energy, infrastructure, and construction projects. He also handled cross-border regulatory, corporate compliance, and cyber and supply chain security matters. In 2016, President

Barack Obama Barack Hussein Obama II ( ; born August 4, 1961) is an American politician who served as the 44th president of the United States from 2009 to 2017. A member of the Democratic Party, Obama was the first African-American president of the ...

appointed him to the Panel of Arbitrators of the International Centre for the Settlement of Investment Disputes (ICSID). The White House press release announcing the designation mentioned that the key administration appointment is for a six-year term. In early 2017 he left private law practice to become an independent arbitrator and mediator, and he affiliated with the arbitration institution JAMS International.https://secure-web.cisco.com/10g08ljO4l7zzHxHozVQe0mpPJJcSbp8XCiLu4A0IoFO2lXgviXOjpdGqOgVwCXbxgzh2qchQojfcWW-4Awit0uWDONGIFqVUjYlU6Ze2XQ09Vvz241CncVw7-SmgBYl7kLty3QimaxKlaoGGdyEv1tvQjDnj-0Xh6KYWTsC8LcEXjKElNG7DhkTcu5SO6Jj1k3RmfWG0i3W3W738UAK2xik5xgIqUGvtZ4nJtbF6mLB8CYUOJo6PAZoAQVsIeV4Jtl8UeXOe1AS1WiVCGDn_VBh1w8kry0Vl1AJ5vc1478bH-tyEiqEyKfU9TJ8zvcQ8H4-8X3nUoChqWwO7mlp0cQ/https%3A%2F%2Fwww.jamsadr.com%2Fnews%2F2017%2Fus-ambassador-ret-david-huebner-joins-jams-as-an-international-arbitrator He is admitted as a Fellow of the London-based Chartered Institute of Arbitrators, serves on the Paris-based International Chamber of Commerce's Commission on Arbitration and ADR, and serves on the panels or lists of arbitrators of several arbitration institutions, including the International Center for Dispute Resolution, Hong Kong International Arbitration Centre, Shanghai International Arbitration Center, Kuala Lumpur Regional Center for Arbitration, World Intellectual Property Organization, American Arbitration Association, China International Economic and Trade Arbitration Commission, and JAMS. He is the chairman of the Southern California chapter of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators. In 1999 Huebner was appointed to the California Law Revision Commission by Governor Gray Davis and was reappointed in 2005 by Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger. From 1999 to 2007 he taught full-semester courses in international law at the University of Southern California Gould School of Law. He has also served as an arbitrator for more than a decade at the annual Willem Vis International Commercial Arbitration Moot competitions in

Hong Kong Hong Kong ( (US) or (UK); , ), officially the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the People's Republic of China (abbr. Hong Kong SAR or HKSAR), is a city and special administrative region of China on the eastern Pearl River Delta i ...

and

Vienna en, Viennese , iso_code = AT-9 , registration_plate = W , postal_code_type = Postal code , postal_code = , timezone = CET , utc_offset = +1 , timezone_DST ...

Diplomatic career

In October 2009, President

nominated Huebner as U.S. Ambassador to New Zealand and Samoa, a post held by William McCormick until January 2009. Huebner was confirmed by the U.S. Senate on November 20, 2009. Huebner, a Democrat, was the first openly

gay ''Gay'' is a term that primarily refers to a homosexual person or the trait of being homosexual. The term originally meant 'carefree', 'cheerful', or 'bright and showy'. While scant usage referring to male homosexuality dates to the late 1 ...

ambassador in the Obama administration, and the third openly gay ambassador in U.S. history. He was the first LGBT ambassador in American history knowingly confirmed by the U.S. Senate. During his

confirmation hearing A United States congressional hearing is the principal formal method by which United States congressional committees collect and analyze information in the early stages of legislative policymaking. Whether confirmation hearings (a procedure unique ...

before the

Senate Committee on Foreign Relations The United States Senate Committee on Foreign Relations is a standing committee of the U.S. Senate charged with leading foreign-policy legislation and debate in the Senate. It is generally responsible for overseeing and funding foreign aid p ...

, Huebner introduced his partner of 20 years, Duane McWaine; the hearing was held on the couple's 20th wedding anniversary, which Huebner acknowledged in his remarks. Huebner was sworn in as ambassador at the

White House The White House is the official residence and workplace of the president of the United States. It is located at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW in Washington, D.C., and has been the residence of every U.S. president since John Adams in ...

by Vice President Joseph Biden on December 4, 2009. Separately accredited to

and

, he has responsibility as well for U.S. relations with the small island nations of

Cook Islands ) , image_map = Cook Islands on the globe (small islands magnified) (Polynesia centered).svg , capital = Avarua , coordinates = , largest_city = Avarua , official_languages = , lan ...

and

Niue Niue (, ; niu, Niuē) is an island country in the South Pacific Ocean, northeast of New Zealand. Niue's land area is about and its population, predominantly Polynesian, was about 1,600 in 2016. Niue is located in a triangle between Tong ...

. During his time as ambassador, Huebner reengineered his two embassies around youth outreach, whole-of-society engagement, expanding exchange programs, developing new approaches and tools of “21st Century Statecraft,” and identifying practical, mutually beneficial opportunities for bilateral and multilateral cooperation on economic, science/technology, political, security, and civil society projects. In February 2013, The Sosaiete o Fa’afafine in American Samoa (S.O.I.F.A.S) hosted a welcoming event for Ambassador Huebner as a way of recognizing the role of human rights in the region raise awareness on "organizational issues" (in

Samoan culture The traditional culture of Samoa is a communal way of life based on Fa'a Samoa, the unique socio-political culture. In Samoan culture, most activities are done together. The traditional living quarters, or '' fale'' (houses), contain no walls and ...

, transgenderism has traditionally been tolerated and celebrated, while homosexuality is illegal). During this visit, Ambassador Huebner was given an official shirt embroidered with the S.O.I.F.A.S logo that is currently available in the LGBT Collection at the Smithsonian National Museum of American History. The U.S. State Department and outside commentators have suggested that current relations between the

United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territori ...

and

are the best they have been in decades.

Bilateral relations

Huebner hosted an unusually large number of visits by senior officials during his tenure as ambassador, including visits to New Zealand by Secretary of State Hillary Clinton in 2010 (the first such visit to Wellington in a quarter century), Secretary of Homeland Security Janet Napolitano in 2012, Secretary of Defense

Leon Panetta Leon Edward Panetta (born June 28, 1938) is an American Democratic Party politician who has served in several different public office positions, including Secretary of Defense, CIA Director, White House Chief of Staff, Director of the Office of ...

in 2012 (the first visit by a Secretary of Defense in more than 30 years), and Attorney General Eric Holder in 2013, as well as a visit to Cook Islands by Secretary of State Hillary Clinton in 2012. During her 2010 visit to Wellington, Secretary Clinton and New Zealand Minister of Foreign Affairs Murray McCully signed the Wellington Declaration, reaffirming the historical ties between the U.S. and New Zealand and establishing a framework for renewed strategic partnership and practical cooperation. During a visit to Washington in 2012, New Zealand Defence Minister Jonathan Coleman and Secretary of Defense Leon Panetta signed the Washington Declaration, reaffirming the two countries historical cooperation on security matters and setting a framework for renewed dialogue and practical collaboration in areas such as humanitarian and disaster relief and maritime security. Huebner successfully advocated for
Shiprider Joint Maritime Law Enforcement Agreement
between Samoa and the United States to assist Apia in enforcing its rights within its Exclusive Economic Zone. He also hosted the Pacific Partnership mission in 2013, restructured Embassy Apia around civil society capacity building and economic development, and facilitated construction of a district medical center near Faleolo Airport by the U.S. Pacific Command.

Youth outreach

Upon his arrival Huebner began forming student adviser groups at each university in New Zealand with whom he meets regularly.Connecting Young Leaders Conference , October 5, 2010 , http://blogs.newzealand.usembassy.gov/ambassador/2010/10/young-leaders-connected-2/ All of the adviser groups are brought together annually for a three-day ''Connecting Young Leaders Conference'' focused on leadership training, policy discussions, and networking. His student adviser program has been replicated in other jurisdictions. In 2013 he launched a similar annual ''Future Leaders of the Pacific Conference'' (FLP) to engage with young leaders under age 25 from the 17 nations of the Pacific Islands Forum. The first FLP was held in Pago Pago, American Samoa. The second FLP is scheduled for 2014 in Apia, Samoa. Other youth programs included establishing annual travel awards for top science students and social entrepreneurs, adding Samoa to the Fulbright scholarship program, supporting the Vex Robotics competitions in New Zealand, frequently teaching in local secondary schools, regularly lecturing in universities, sponsoring sports exchanges, adding students to the periodic U.S./N.Z. Partnership Forum, and hosting NASA's annual mobile apps competition (NASA Space Apps Challenge). Under his leadership the Embassy organized and hosted in 2013 the inaugural ''USA Universities Expo'' in Auckland which drew representatives from 35 American institutions of higher education and more than 2,600 local attendees.

Public diplomacy

Huebner restructured his Embassies to focus on whole-of-society and digital outreach. He launched new programs to engage indigenous peoples, the Pacific diaspora, faith communities, the LGBT community, veterans, and social entrepreneurs, and he revised Embassy invitation lists and events to reflect and include the full community. Huebner also retooled Embassy Wellington into a test for the State Department's cyber-diplomacy and 21st Century Statecraft initiatives. In 2010 he launched one of the firs
ambassador blogs
and significantly expanded his Embassies’ social media platforms. In 2013 he built a digital recording and broadcast studio in Embassy Wellington. Under his leadership, Embassy Wellington in 2012 conceived and then partnered with the

Auckland University of Technology Auckland University of Technology (AUT) ( mi, Te Wānanga Aronui o Tāmaki Makau Rau) is a university in New Zealand, formed on 1 January 2000 when a former technical college (originally established in 1895) was granted university status. AUT ...

an
Social Media NZ
to host the inaugura
Project (R)evolution conference
which drew more than 200 digital thinkers from New Zealand, the United States, and elsewhere to discuss the status and future of digital communications and internet-driven change. The next Project conference is scheduled for May 2014.

Civic and volunteer activities

Huebner has been a generous benefactor of youth literacy and education programs including the Mahanoy City Public Library. He currently sits as honorary chairperson o
Fulbright New Zealand
a trustee of th
New Zealand Antarctic Heritage Trust
and patron for th
American Chamber of Commerce
He was a founding member of the Los Angeles Committee on Foreign Relations and was active in the Los Angeles World Affairs Council and the Pacific Council on International Policy. He served as a founding national board member, co-chair, and general counsel of the Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation (GLAAD) and as a member of the board of the Los Angeles Gay & Lesbian Center. In 1994 he was appointed by the City Council to the Los Angeles Quality & Productivity Commission, where he served as president.Coudert Brothers LLP , David Huebner - Chairman , Retrieved October 30, 2013 , http://careerinsider.vault.com/images/pdf/3035/1632.pdf In 1999 Huebner was appointed to the California Law Revision Commission by Governor Gray DavisCoudert Brothers' Partner Nominated to California Law Revision Commission , PR Newswire , Retrieved October 30, 2013, http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/coudert-brothers-partner-nominated-to-california-law-revision-commission-77616967.html and was reappointed in 2005 by Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger, serving several terms as chairman. He served as a staff counsel to the Independent Commission on the Los Angeles Police Department, formed after the Rodney King incident. He served on California Governor Gray Davis’ Judicial Selection Advisory Committee. He has a particular interest in education and literacy efforts. For many years he has supported the public library in his hometown of Mahanoy City, and he was recently awarded the key to the City in recognition of his efforts. From 1999 to 2007 he taught full-semester courses in international law at the

University of Southern California , mottoeng = "Let whoever earns the palm bear it" , religious_affiliation = Nonsectarian—historically Methodist , established = , accreditation = WSCUC , type = Private research university , academic_affiliations = , endowment = $8.1 ...

Gould School of Law and has lectured and led seminars in other universities in China, New Zealand, and the United States.Ambassador , Embassy of the United States , United States Diplomatic Mission to New Zealand , Retrieved October 30, 2013 , http://newzealand.usembassy.gov/ambassador.html Huebner was elected to life membership in the Council on Foreign Relations in 2015. He currently serves on the board of the Pacific Council on International Policy, Founder Council of the

Williams Institute The Williams Institute on Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity Law and Public Policy, usually shortened to Williams Institute, is a public policy research institute based at the UCLA School of Law focused on sexual orientation and gender ident ...

at the University of California, Los Angeles, School of Law, the executive committee of the Asia Society of Southern California, and the boards of the Swiss International Law School, Yale Center for Environmental Law & Policy, Princeton AlumniCorps, USC Annenberg Center for Public Diplomacy, and Franklin Delano Roosevelt Foundation.

Honors and awards

The communications industry professional association Public Affairs Asia awarded him and his team th
Gold Standard Award
for Social Media Communications at its annual awards event in Singapore in 2012. On August 24, 2013, Huebner served as Grand Marshal at celebrations of the 150th anniversary of the founding of his hometown of Mahanoy City. For his public service and his support of the public library he was awarded the key to the City by the Mayor.Grand Marshal named for Schuylkill Co. Firefighters Convention Parade , Times News , August 13, 2013 , http://www.tnonline.com/2013/aug/13/grand-marshal-named-schuylkill-co-firefighters-convention-parade On October 20, 2013, Huebner and his spouse Dr. Duane McWaine were honored by GABA (Gay Auckland Business Association) at a black-tie dinner in recognition of their whole-of-society engagement and contributions to the LGBT community in New Zealand. On October 25, 2013, the Royal Society of New Zealand awarded him an Illuminated Scroll for his efforts in promoting science and technology collaboration and education.David Huebner , LinkedIn , http://linkedin.com/in/dhuebner On October 30, 2013, Huebner was made a Fellow of the Auckland University of Technology Faculty of Business and Law in recognition of his commitment to higher education and student achievement. AUT's Vice-Chancellor, Derek McCormack, presented the award at a reception held at Auckland's Mackelvie Gallery. On August 19, 2014, Huebner's diplomatic passport, his spouse Dr. McWaine's diplomatic passport, and other artifacts of his time as ambassador to New Zealand and Samoa were taken by the Smithsonian Institution into its permanent collection of American history. In 2015 he was invited to deliver the 7th Annual Franklin Delano Roosevelt Memorial Lecture at Harvard's Adams House and the 10th Annual Robert I. Weil Lecture by the Los Angeles County Bar Association. In 2016 the Secretary of the Navy awarded Huebner the U.S. Navy's Distinguished Public Service Award for his humanitarian and security work as ambassador.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Huebner, David 1960 births Living people Ambassadors of the United States to New Zealand Ambassadors of the United States to Samoa American civil rights lawyers American law firm executives American legal scholars California Democrats Educators from California California lawyers Gay diplomats Obama administration personnel People from Mahanoy City, Pennsylvania University of Southern California faculty Princeton School of Public and International Affairs alumni Yale Law School alumni LGBT ambassadors of the United States LGBT people from Pennsylvania 21st-century American diplomats Arnold & Porter people