Roger Noriega

AMBASSADOR ROGER F. NORIEGA, in the Washington, D.C. office, has more than two decades of public policy experience focusing on U.S. interests in the Western Hemisphere. Twice-appointed by President George W. Bush (and confirmed by the U.S. Senate) and with a 10-year career on Capitol Hill, Ambassador Noriega's breadth of experience and contacts offer strategic vision and practical insight on the Americas. As Assistant Secretary of State for Western Hemisphere Affairs (from July 2003 to October 2005), Ambassador Noriega managed a 3,000-person team of professionals in Washington and 50 diplomatic posts to design and implement political and economic strategies in Canada, Latin America, and the Caribbean. He was a leader in an inter-agency team that actively expanded trade and investment opportunities to spur economic growth and to create opportunities for U.S. companies and consumers. He also helped design and execute an annual plan for the effective use of $1.7 billion in U.S. economic assistance in two dozen countries. As U.S. Ambassador to the Organization of American States (OAS) (August 2001 to July 2003), Noriega coordinated complex and sensitive multilateral diplomacy in a 34-member international organization to bolster OAS efforts to promote trade, fight illicit drugs, and defend democracy. On Capitol Hill, Ambassador Noriega counseled Congressional leaders on all aspects of U.S. interests in the Americas, drafted historic legislation, and oversaw U.S. aid programs, the Peace Corps, and international narcotics affairs. From July 1997 to August 2001, he was a member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee staff of Chairman Jesse A. Helms (R-NC) and from July 1994 to July 1997, he served on the House International Relations Committee staff of Chairman Benjamin A. Gilman (R-NY). Ambassador Noriega also is a visiting fellow in the prestigious American Enterprise Institute for Public Policy Research. He has a Bachelor of Arts degree from Washburn University of Topeka, Kansas. Ambassador Noriega has been decorated by the Governments of Nicaragua and Peru and has received numerous awards for public service from organizations committed to the promotion of democracy in the Americas.