Julieta Valls Noyes
Deputy Chief of Mission

U.S. Embassy to the Holy See

Julieta Valls Noyes has served as the Deputy Chief of Mission to the United States Embassy to the Holy See since August 2008. She is a career diplomat with over twenty years of foreign and domestic assignments with the U.S. Department of State.

Prior to this assignment, Ms. Noyes was the Deputy Director of the Operations Center, the 24-hour crisis management and communications center of the State Department. In that position, she managed over 40 people and a multi-million dollar budget. During her tenure, the Operations Center handled several global crises, including evacuations from and attacks on U.S. embassies. From 2005-2007, she was the Director for Multilateral and Global Affairs in the Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights and Labor. In that position, she directed a staff of 18 in formulating and implementing human rights resolutions and policies in organizations such as the United Nations and Organization of American States, and held regular consultations with key allies. The office also handled human rights vetting for U.S.-funded military assistance programs and sensitive refugee matters. Ms. Noyes participated on high-level delegations to present the U.S. record on implementation of human rights treaties to the UN.

As Deputy Director of the Office of Policy Planning and Coordination in the Bureau of Western Hemisphere Affairs from 2002-2004, Ms. Noyes helped direct the distribution and use of over $200 million in foreign assistance programs in the Americas, and regional policies, including counter-terrorism, counter-drug, and military assistance programs. While she was Political Chief at the U.S. Embassy in Panama, Ms. Noyes organized the ceremonies to transfer the Canal to Panamanian control. She also negotiated a Status of Forces Agreement, an achievement for which she earned the Secretary of State’s Distinguished Service Award.

In prior assignments, Ms. Noyes served as political officer at the U.S. Embassy to Madrid; as country desk officer for Greece and Turkey; and as assistant information officer at Embassy Mexico City. She also held assignments as country desk officer for Panama during Operation Just Cause, as political officer in Guatemala, and as a consular officer on the U.S.-Mexico border.

Ms. Noyes speaks Spanish, Portuguese, Italian, and French. A graduate of Wellesley College, she also has a Master’s Degree from the Industrial College of the Armed Forces. She has received several Superior and Meritorious Honor Awards. Ms. Noyes is married to Nicholas Noyes, Jr., also a Foreign Service Officer, and they have three children, Alexandra, Nicholas, and Matthew.