Ambassador
Nina Hachigian (ret.) brings a wealth of experience from her roles in local and federal government. She was the first U.S. Special Representative for City and State Diplomacy at the U.S. Department of State from 2022 to 2025. She hired a team and established an office that reached over 5,500 bipartisan local leaders in the United States, answering thousands of inquiries and holding dozens of briefings on subjects ranging from foreign direct investment strategy to best practices when engaging with China’s officials.
From 2017-2022, Ambassador Hachigian served as the first Deputy Mayor for International Affairs for the City of Los Angeles. In that role, she led preparations for the 2028 Olympic and Paralympic Games and their legacy; hosted the Summit of the Americas; planned trade missions, and established a free educational travel program for low-income community college students.
Earlier, Ambassador Hachigian served as the second U.S. Ambassador to the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN). During her tenure, the United States established a strategic partnership with ASEAN, held the first Leaders’ Summit in the United States, launched a Presidential initiative on economic cooperation, and grew the youth program to over 100,000 members. She was awarded the State Department’s Superior Honor Award for her service. Additionally, Ambassador Hachigian served on the staff of the National Security Council in the Clinton White House.
She is the editor of
Debating China: The U.S. – China Relationship in Ten Conversations (Oxford University Press, 2014) and co-author of
The Next American Century: How the U.S. Can Thrive as Other Powers Rise (Simon & Schuster, 2008).
