Hersey Kyota

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Hersey Kyota (born May 1, 1953) is a Palauan diplomat who has served as Palau’s ambassador to the United States since November 12, 1997. He is the Dean of the Diplomatic Corps in Washington, D.C., and the longest-serving ambassador to the United States.

Before becoming ambassador, Kyota held several roles in Palau’s government: legal researcher for the House of Delegates (1981–1984), chief clerk of the House of Delegates (1985–1988), and director of the House Legal Counsels’ Office (1989–1990). He then served as a Palau senator from 1990 to 1996 and was on the Board of Directors for the Association of Pacific Island Legislatures from 1992 to 1996. He has also represented Palau at the United Nations, including chairing Palau’s delegation to the UN Millennium Summit in 2000.

Education: Kyota earned a Bachelor of Arts in 1977 and a Master of Arts in 1979 from United States International University in San Diego.

Personal: He is the son of Shiro Kyota, who was Palau’s finance officer and later speaker of Palau’s National Congress; Shiro has Palauan and Japanese heritage. Kyota is married and has six children. His hobbies include fishing, reading, and playing baseball, basketball, golf, chess, and video games.

Residences: He lives in Ngerulmud, Palau, and spends time in Arlington, Virginia, when in the United States.