United States Ambassador to Romania Darryl Nirenberg was sworn in on February 18, 2026.
Prior to his ambassadorship, Ambassador Nirenberg, an attorney with more than 40 years of experience in foreign policy and international trade law, was a partner at Steptoe LLP in Washington DC. He began his career as a legislative aide to Senator S.I. Hayakawa and as a professional staff member of the Senate Agriculture Committee. He later served on the staff of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee during the fall of the Berlin Wall and the Romanian Revolution, including as minority counsel and minority deputy staff director. He was chief of staff and legislative director to Senator Jesse Helms during the Senator’s chairmanship.
Following fourteen years on Capitol Hill, Ambassador Nirenberg entered private practice at Patton Boggs LLP, where he became a partner. Ambassador Nirenberg graduated cum laude from Colgate University and earned his juris doctor from the George Washington University Law School while working full time in the Senate.
He has long been active in his community, coaching youth sports and serving on several nonprofit boards, and mentoring students through Colgate University’s Thought Into Action program. He is married to Lori Nirenberg and has two adult children.
