The new United States Ambassador to New Zealand, Samoa, the Cook Islands and Niue, Jared Novelly, has arrived in Wellington to begin his diplomatic assignment.
Ambassador Novelly presented his credentials in New Zealand on July 1 and is expected to travel to Samoa in the coming weeks to present his credentials to the Government of Samoa.
The U.S. Embassy in Apia said his arrival marks a new chapter in America’s engagement with Samoa and the wider Pacific region.
“The United States and Samoa share a longstanding partnership founded on mutual respect, shared democratic values, and close people-to-people ties,” the Embassy said.
The Embassy said the United States remains committed to working with Samoa in areas including regional security, economic prosperity, public health, education, disaster preparedness, environmental resilience and maritime cooperation.
Ambassador Novelly was confirmed by the United States Senate on May 18, 2026.
Before taking up the diplomatic post, he had a career across business, sports management and philanthropy. He was principal of Crest Sports and Entertainment, through which he was owner and chairman of the Illawarra Hawks, a basketball team in Australia’s National Basketball League.
He was also involved with the East Asia Super League and served as director of Apex Holding Company and Apex Oil Corporation in St. Louis, Missouri.
His professional background also includes work in property development, management, telecommunications and internet operations.
Ambassador Novelly is a native of St. Louis, Missouri. He holds a Master of Property Development from the University of Technology Sydney in Australia and a Bachelor of Arts from Saint Louis University.
U.S. Embassy Apia said it looks forward to welcoming Ambassador Novelly to Samoa, where he will begin official engagements with the Government of Samoa and the Samoan people.
This article is based on information provided by the U.S. Embassy Apia and Ambassador Jared Novelly’s official biography.
