Trump nominates new envoy to PH

US President Donald Trump has appointed a new ambassador to the Philippines, according to a White House announcement Thursday (Wednesday in Washington).

Lee Lipton, a businessman from Florida who currently serves as the interim Permanent Representative to the United States Mission to the Organization of American States, will replace MaryKay Carlson, who has served as Washington's envoy to Manila since 2022.

Lipton, who has yet to go through a US Senate confirmation, is the first non-career American diplomat to be appointed to Manila in recent history.

The Philippines is one of the closest US allies in Asia and has received bipartisan support both from the previous Biden administration and Trump. 

US Secretary of War Pete Hegseth undertook his first symbolic visit to the Philippines and Japan as his chosen destinations in March. Hegseth said in Manila that the US will ramp up deterrence with its allies against Chinese aggression in the region.

Philippine Ambassador to the US Jose Manuel Romualdez welcomed Lee's appointment, saying it is a "good indication" as he is a close friend of Trump.

"Trump sees the Philippines as important to him personally," Romualdez told GMA News Online.

As Washington's envoy to the OAS, Lee "manages staff operations, financial resources, and interagency coordination to advance US foreign policy priorities in the Western Hemisphere," according to his profile posted on the US State Department website.

He supports "US engagement on a range of regional challenges, including the deteriorating security situation in Haiti, and efforts to counter malign influence—particularly from the Chinese Communist Party (CCP)—within the Inter-American System," it added.

Before entering public service, Lipton funded and led a successful apparel business in New York City.

He oversaw the design, manufacturing, marketing, and distribution of licensed collections for globally recognized brands such as Calvin Klein, St. John Knits, and Guess. 

After selling his company to a publicly traded firm, he transitioned into the hospitality industry, owning several oceanfront restaurants. His landmark restaurants remain among the highest-volume establishments in Palm Beach County in Florida.

"Mr. Lipton brings over 25 years of private sector experience to his diplomatic role, offering a strong business to business perspective to U.S. engagement at the Organization of American States," his profile said.

"Mr. Lipton results-driven mindset and a strategic approach, shaped by decades of entrepreneurial leadership, informs his work at the U.S. Mission to the Organization of American States, where he champions economic engagement, institutional efficiency, and multilateral cooperation in support of regional stability and prosperity," it added.

Lee holds a bachelor’s degree from Bryant University. He and his wife of 45 years have two sons. —AOL, GMA Integrated News