NEC Board Member Victoria Kennedy Nominated as Ambassador to Austria
NEC board member Victoria Kennedy has been nominated by President Biden to serve as U.S. Ambassador to Austria, pending confirmation by the U.S. Senate. Kennedy is currently a senior counselor at the international law firm Greenberg Traurig, an NEC member. Kennedy is a close friend of President Biden’s, and the Kennedy family has a long-standing tradition of diplomatic service dating back to Joseph P. Kennedy, Sr., who served as U.S. Ambassador to the U.K.
Victoria Kennedy’s consideration to the ambassadorship became clear in past weeks as she received official approval from the office of Austria’s President Alexander van der Bellen. Austrian Chancellor Sebastian Kurz additionally called the prospect of having Kennedy serve as U.S. ambassador an “honor.” Her warm welcome in Austria comes in part as a result of her close relationship with President Biden. President Biden and Kennedy’s late husband, Edward M. Kennedy, developed a friendship through serving together in the U.S. Senate for 36 years. In addition to her relationship with the President, her character, according to friends and co-workers, makes her a good candidate for the job ahead.
Friend Christine Heenan, a senior partner at Boston biotech Flagship Pioneering, says “the combination of her intelligence and her temperament and her worldview make her very well-suited for a diplomatic role.”
The New England Council congratulates board member Victoria Kennedy on her nomination to this important diplomatic post. Read more in The Boston Globe.