Ambassador Roger F. Nyhus is an accomplished business and civic leader – and one of only a handful of Native American ambassadors in U.S. history. Ambassador Nyhus was appointed by President Joe Biden in September 2022 and confirmed unanimously by the U.S. Senate in November 2023. His top three priorities as ambassador are addressing climate change, enhancing regional security and promoting economic prosperity. Ambassador Nyhus brings an entrepreneurial, private sector perspective to his role. Previously, he served as founder and CEO of Nyhus Communications, a nearly 30-year-old, Seattle-based strategic communications, advocacy and marketing consultancy. In this role, Ambassador Nyhus served as an adviser to business and government leaders around the world, including CEOs of Fortune 500 companies. Ambassador Nyhus built his career promoting American companies in sectors relevant to the Eastern Caribbean, including sustainability and energy, aviation, travel and tourism, telecommunications, global health and health care, financial services, global philanthropy, seafood and the arts. Ambassador Nyhus is a strong and effective advocate for international trade and economic development in rural and urban settings. He has represented numerous clients in advancing global commercial engagement and people-to-people exchange. Ambassador Nyhus is a proud member of the Chinook Indian Nation, one of the original diplomatic tribes. His great uncle served as tribal chair in the 1970s. Ambassador Nyhus’ ancestors greeted explorers Lewis and Clark at the mouth of the mighty Columbia River. Ambassador Nyhus has been recognized for his business, civic and philanthropic work. In 2023, Ambassador Nyhus was inducted into the Hall of Achievement at Washington State University’s Edward R. Murrow College of Communication, his alma mater, and received the Public Relations Society of America’s Jay Rockey Lifetime Achievement Award for advancing the field of public relations. In 2010, Ambassador Nyhus was named Business Leader of the Year by the Greater Seattle Business Association, North America’s largest LGBTQ+ chamber of commerce. Nyhus Communications earned the Seattle Mayor’s Small Business Award in 2009. In 2006, the Puget Sound Business Journal recognized Ambassador Nyhus as one of 40 outstanding members of the business community under the age of 40. Ambassador Nyhus grew up in Westport, Washington, a small fishing village on the Pacific Ocean. The son of a commercial fisherman and municipal court clerk, Ambassador Nyhus ran the town’s summer fishing derby to help pay for college. He understands life on the ocean and economies that rely on natural resources and tourism. His personal passions include championing wildlife conservation and the arts.