Victoria Holt

Victoria K. Holt is an Adjunct Professor in International and Public Affairs.  She is a Distinguished Fellow at the Henry L. Stimson Center, a Washington-based policy research institute.  Her areas of expertise include international peace and security, U.S. policy, and multilateral tools, including peace operations and conflict prevention.  Holt served in the Obama Administration as the Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for International Security, Bureau of International Organization Affairs, U.S. Department of State (2009-2017).  She was responsible for policy guidance for actions and mechanisms in the UN Security Council, and oversaw offices handling peace operations, sanctions, counterterrorism, and UN political affairs.  Holt led the development of U.S. diplomatic initiatives, including the 2015 Leaders' Summit on U.N. Peacekeeping, hosted by President Obama.

Holt earlier co-directed the Future of Peace Operations program as a Senior Associate at the Stimson Center, writing and speaking widely on UN and regional peace operations, the protection of civilians and atrocity prevention, targeted sanctions, rule of law and U.S. policy.  She served on the Genocide Prevention Task Force, and authored a pioneering 2009 report for the United Nations on the gap facing peacekeeping missions in delivering on the protection of civilians.

Holt also served at the U.S. Department of State as Senior Policy Advisor, Bureau of Legislative Affairs, during the Clinton Administration.  She worked as a senior staffer on Capitol Hill for Rep. George Hochbrueckner (D-NY) and Rep. Tom Andrews (D-ME), both members of the House Armed Services Committee, covering defense and foreign policy issues. Holt also was Executive Director of a bipartisan diplomatic campaign to pay U.S. arrears to the United Nations, and worked at Washington-based policy institutes on international affairs and nuclear weapons issues. Holt is a graduate of the Naval War College and Wesleyan University.