Nominee For US Ambassador To UN In Geneva An Obama Childhood Friend, Major Fundraiser

The White House recently announced the nomination of Pamela Hamamoto, a childhood friend and major fundraiser of President Obama’s, to be the next ambassador to the United Nations in Geneva, including agencies like the World Intellectual Property Organization, World Health Organization and International Telecommunication Union.

Hamamoto is a former investment banker who has recently served on California school boards, and had an early background in the telecommunications and energy sectors.

According to press reports, she was a childhood friend of Obama’s in Hawaii, and raised at least US$500,000 for his re-election campaign last year. See reports here and here.

Even before this announcement, it was reported that the Obama administration has set a record for handing out appointments to campaign contributors and political allies. The most attractive posts around the world seem to have gone to those who raised millions of dollars for Obama, the article said, adding that the practice has raised the ire of career diplomats.

It is unclear from available information what foreign affairs qualifications Hamamoto has to represent the United States at the UN agencies in Geneva. The appointment will need the approval of the US Senate, which can take months but could be expected to happen this autumn.

The current US ambassador to the UN, Betty King, took office in May 2010. She has been a strong voice for intellectual property protection. King was born in St. Vincent, West Indies and prior to nomination had a background related to the UN and international philanthropy. King is expected to remain in the post until her successor is named. King’s official bio is here.

The White House announcement stated:

Pamela K. Hamamoto, Nominee for Representative of the United States to the Office of the United Nations and Other International Organizations in Geneva, with the rank of Ambassador, Department of State
Pamela K. Hamamoto is a member of the Board of Trustees at The Branson School. She was a member of the Board of Trustees at Marin Country Day School from 2007 to 2013, and from 2008 to 2012 she also served on the Stanford University Athletic Board. From 1999 to 2008, she served on the Board of Trustees of the Ring Mountain Day School. Previously, Ms. Hamamoto worked at Goldman, Sachs & Co. in the Investment Banking Division of the firm’s New York and San Francisco offices from 1990 to 1991 and 1994 to 1999. From 1991 to 1994, she worked at Merrill Lynch & Co. as a Vice President in Corporate Finance in the firm’s Los Angeles office. From 1986 to 1988, Ms. Hamamoto worked in the telecommunications industry as a Senior Business Planner for GTE Hawaiian Tel. From 1983 to 1985, she was a Civil Engineer for Pacific Gas & Electric Co. She received a B.S. and an M.S. from Stanford University and an M.B.A. from the UCLA Anderson School of Management.