The Torchbearer Award was created by the United States-New Zealand Council in 2002 to recognize the contributions of distinguished New Zealanders and Americans in promoting the relationship between our two countries and in providing global leadership on issues of significance to both nations.  Torchbearer Award recipients have been former NZ Prime Minister and Director General of the World Trade Organisation Mike Moore and former Agriculture Secretary and US Trade Representative, Clayton Yeutter in 2002; former three-term New Zealand Prime Minister and Ambassador to the United States Jim Bolger and former California Congressman, Cal Dooley in 2004; and Assistant Secretary of State for East Asian and Pacific Affairs Christopher Hill in 2008.  

2008 Torchbearer Award winner:

The Council presented the Torchbearer Award to Assistant Secretary Hill at a dinner in Washington in recognition of his exceptional leadership in strengthening the bilateral relationship between the US and New Zealand. 

Ambassador Hill was a career member of the Senior Foreign Service whose most recent assignment was as Ambassador to Iraq.  Following his retirement from the Foreign Service, he became Dean of the Josef Korbel School of International Studies at the University of Denver in September 2010.  

In 2005, as Assistant Secretary, he was named as the Head of the U.S. delegation to the Six-Party Talks on the North Korean nuclear issue.  Previously he has served as U.S. Ambassador to Poland (2000-2004), Ambassador to the Republic of Macedonia (1996-1999) and Special Envoy to Kosovo (1998-1999).  He also served as Special Assistant to the President and Senior Director for Southeast European Affairs in the National Security Council.

Earlier in his Foreign Service career, Ambassador Hill served tours in Belgrade, Warsaw, Seoul, and Tirana, and on the Department of State's Policy Planning staff and in the Department's Operation Center.  While on a fellowship with the American Political Science Association he served as a staff member for Congressman Stephen Solarz working on Eastern European issues.  He also served as the Department of State's Senior Country Officer for Poland.  Ambassador Hill received the State Department's Distinguished Service Award for his contributions as a member of the U.S. negotiating team in the Bosnia peace settlement, and was a recipient of the Robert S. Frasure Award for Peace Negotiations for his work on the Kosovo crisis.  Prior to joining the Foreign Service, Ambassador Hill served as a Peace Corps volunteer in Cameroon.  

2004 Torchbearer Award winners: 

James Bolger was prime minister of New Zealand from 1990 to 1997 and Ambassador to the United States from 1998 to 2002. As prime minister, Mr. Bolger oversaw unprecedented performance in the New Zealand economy. In addition, he encouraged New Zealand’s involvement in the international arena, especially U.N. peacekeeping operations. Mr. Bolger is a recipient of New Zealand’s highest honor, the Order of New Zealand.  Currently, Mr. Bolger is Chairman of NZUS Council and Chancellor of Waikato University.  

Cal Dooley represented California’s Central Valley in the U.S. House of Representatives from 1991 to 2005. Before his election to Congress, Mr. Dooley was a farmer, growing cotton and walnuts. He has been a very active promoter of agricultural and trade issues in the House. Representative Dooley co-founded and chaired the New Democrat Coalition, an organization devoted to electing moderate Democrats. After leaving Congress, Mr. Dooley was CEO of the Grocery Manufacturers Association and currently is CEO of the American Chemistry Council.

Photo: From left to right:  Rt. Hon James Bolger (honoree), Fred Benson (Vice Chair of the United States - New Zealand Council), Hon. Cal Dooley (honoree), John Mullen (President of the United States - New Zealand Council).

 

2002 Torchbearer Award winners:  

Mike Moore was Director General of the World Trade Organization from 1999 until September 2002. A former Prime Minister of New Zealand, he has had a long and distinguished career in politics, serving in a number of senior cabinet positions. The recipient of numerous awards including New Zealand’s highest honor, the Order of New Zealand, Mr. Moore is the author of a number of books and is working on an account of his time at the WTO.Rt.  He currently serves as New Zealand's Ambassador to the United States.

Clayton Yeutter has enjoyed a storied career in both public service and the private sector for more than four decades. He has served in cabinet and sub-cabinet level posts under four U.S. Presidents, including the positions of U.S. Trade Representative and Secretary of Agriculture. Mr. Yeutter also served as the Republican National Chairman and as Chief Executive Officer of the Chicago Mercantile Exchange. He is Senior Advisor for International Trade at Hogan Lovells US LLP.