Abelardo L. Valdez is an American lawyer and diplomat. He is currently the President and Vice Chair of the

Council of American Ambassadors The Council of American Ambassadors (CAA) is an association of non-career United States ambassadors. A nonprofit and nonpartisan organization, the CAA comprises over 200 members whose ambassadorial service collectively extends over five decades ...

. He is also a founder of the Council of American Ambassadors' Fellowship Program, which trains undergraduates for careers in diplomacy and international affairs. He practices international law in Washington, DC and San Antonio, TX.

Early life

Valdez was born in Texas, the son of Mexican-American migrant agricultural laborers. He was involved in agricultural work from a young age in Texas, Montana, North Dakota and South Dakota.

Career

From 1979 to 1981, Ambassador Valdez served as the United States Ambassador and Chief of Protocol of the United States under President

Jimmy Carter James Earl Carter Jr. (born October 1, 1924) is an American politician who served as the 39th president of the United States from 1977 to 1981. A member of the Democratic Party (United States), Democratic Party, he previously served as th ...

. He also was the Assistant Administrator for Latin America and the Caribbean of the US Agency for International Development from 1977 to 1979; General Counsel for the

Inter-American Foundation The Inter-American Foundation, or IAF, is an independent agency of the United States government that funds community-led development in Latin America and the Caribbean. It was created through the Foreign Assistance Act of 1969Overseas Private Investment Corporation from 1971 to 1973. During his military service, he served as a military aide to President Lyndon B. Johnson. Ambassador Valdez is recognized as one of the original proponents and an architect of the

North American Free Trade Agreement The North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA ; es, Tratado de Libre Comercio de América del Norte, TLCAN; french: Accord de libre-échange nord-américain, ALÉNA) was an agreement signed by Canada, Mexico, and the United States that crea ...

. and of a Western Hemisphere Free Trade Area, and served as an advisor on the NAFTA negotiations. He received his LL.M. degree from

Harvard Law School Harvard Law School (Harvard Law or HLS) is the law school of Harvard University, a private research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Founded in 1817, it is the oldest continuously operating law school in the United States. Each class ...

, J.D. degree from Baylor Law School and a B.S. degree in civil engineering from

Texas A&M University Texas A&M University (Texas A&M, A&M, or TAMU) is a public, land-grant, research university in College Station, Texas. It was founded in 1876 and became the flagship institution of the Texas A&M University System in 1948. As of late 2021, T ...

. He also pursued graduate studies in international law at The Hague Academy of International Law in The Netherlands. Valdez served as an editor of the Harvard International Law Journal. He has lectured and written extensively on international trade and investment issues and US-Latin American relations and has been a visiting lecturer or visiting professor at

Harvard University Harvard University is a private Ivy League research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Founded in 1636 as Harvard College and named for its first benefactor, the Puritan clergyman John Harvard, it is the oldest institution of higher le ...

Baylor University Baylor University is a private Baptist Christian research university in Waco, Texas. Baylor was chartered in 1845 by the last Congress of the Republic of Texas. Baylor is the oldest continuously operating university in Texas and one of the fir ...

, Trinity University and the University of Santa Clara. He is a member of the District of Columbia Bar Association and the State Bar of Texas. He has served, and continues to serve, as a Director or Trustee of various corporate, professional and educational institutions, including the

US Chamber of Commerce The United States Chamber of Commerce (USCC) is the largest lobbying group in the United States, representing over three million businesses and organizations. The group was founded in April 1912 out of local chambers of commerce at the urging ...

, the

Association for Diplomatic Studies and Training The Association for Diplomatic Studies and Training (ADST) is a United States non-profit organization established in 1986 by retired Foreign Service officers. It produces and shares oral histories by American diplomats and facilitates the publica ...

, the Congressional Hispanic Caucus Institute,

The American University The American University (AU or American) is a Private university, private University charter#Federal, federally chartered research university in Washington, D.C. Its main campus spans 90 acres (36 ha) on Ward Circle, mostly in the Spring Valle ...

, Pan American University Foundation, the Center for International Business of Texas A&M University, and the Development Board of the University of Texas Health Science Center. He also served as the Chairman of the International Committee of the Greater Washington Board of Trade, a member of the Rivlin Commission on the Financial Priorities of the District of Columbia, and an honorary member of the US Christopher Columbus Quincentennial Jubilee Commission.

Awards

In addition to his many board affiliations, Ambassador Valdez has received numerous awards for his public service and has been decorated by King Juan Carlos I of Spain with the

Order of Isabella the Catholic The Order of Isabella the Catholic ( es, Orden de Isabel la Católica) is a Spanish civil order and honor granted to persons and institutions in recognition of extraordinary services to the homeland or the promotion of international relations a ...

. He has received the Distinguished Alumnus Award from Baylor University and the Founder's Award of the American GI Forum.

Personal

He resides in Washington, DC, and Floresville, Texas.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Valdez, Abelardo L. Living people Texas A&M University alumni Harvard Law School alumni Baylor University alumni American people of Mexican descent Hispanic and Latino American diplomats Year of birth missing (living people) Chiefs of Protocol of the United States