| Samuel D. Heins | |
| Office: | United States Ambassador to Norway |
| President: | Barack Obama |
| Term Start: | March 10, 2016 |
| Term End: | January 12, 2017 |
| Successor: | James P. DeHart (Acting) |
| Birth Date: | 31 May 1947 |
| Alma Mater: | University of Minnesota Law School |
Samuel D. Heins (born May 31, 1947) is the former United States Ambassador to Norway, serving from 2016 to 2017.[1] [2] The wait for confirmation of a new ambassador by the United States Senate led to the Embassy being without a Senate-confirmed Ambassador for 29 months. He succeeded Barry B. White, who had resigned the position in 2013.[3]
He was confirmed by the Senate on February 12, 2016, and presented his credentials to Harald V of Norway on March 10, 2016.[4]
His long-awaited arrival was announced enthusiastically by Foreign Minister Børge Brende on Twitter,[5] which is unusual for Ambassadorial appointments to Norway.
Before his appointment, Ambassador Heins was most recently a partner in the Heins, Mills and Olson Law Firm in Minneapolis. He earned a B.A. degree from the University of Minnesota in 1968 and a J.D. degree from the University of Minnesota Law School in 1972.[6] His spouse is also a retired lawyer. They have three children. He is the fifth U.S. Ambassador to Norway from Minnesota.