Victoria Holt is the Director of the John Sloan Dickey Center for International Understanding at Dartmouth University. She was previously a Vice President at the Henry L. Stimson Center, focused on international security and multilateral issues. From 2009 to early 2017 Holt served as U.S. Deputy Assistant Secretary of State, Bureau of International Organization Affairs, where she was responsible for developing policy guidance on issues before the UN Security Council, including regional crises, peacekeeping and political operations, sanctions and counterterrorism. She also led diplomatic efforts on Presidential initiatives on peacekeeping and atrocity prevention. Before joining the State Department, Holt was a Senior Associate and co-director of the Future of Peace Operations program at Stimson, leading studies on the United Nations and regional peace operations, the protection of civilians, targeted sanctions, rule of law, and U.S. policy. Earlier she was appointed Senior Policy Advisor (Legislative Affairs), at the State Department during the Clinton Administration; led Washington-based policy programs at non-governmental organizations; and worked as senior staff to Members of Congress, including Rep. George Hochbrueckner and Rep. Tom Andrews, focused on defense and foreign policy. She is a graduate of the Naval War College and Wesleyan University.