As Chief of Protocol of the United States, bearing the rank of Ambassador, from 2009 until 2013, Capricia Penavic Marshall was the United States’ lead representative in setting the stage for diplomacy at the highest levels.

In her post, Ms. Marshall worked to leverage U.S. relationships with foreign governments. She reinvented modern protocol by building relationships between industry leaders in the U.S and economies worldwide, and created strategies to transform global engagement.

Charged with forging and managing relationships with countries around the world, Ms. Marshall’s hand was the first extended of welcome on behalf of the President and Secretary of State. She oversaw the details of diplomacy during six State and Official Visits, countless Working Visits, and the G20, Nuclear Security, APEC, G8, NATO and Sunnylands Summits. From the arrival to departure of presidents, prime ministers, ruling monarchs, and other foreign dignitaries to the United States, she worked with counterparts from nearly 200 countries ensuring the treatment and care of foreign delegations supported the policy objectives of the Obama Administration

Moving beyond traditional methods of engagement, Ms. Marshall used her background as a first generation American of Mexican and Croatian descent to foster international goodwill and cultivate relationships. With a focus on the nexus of economies, culture and foreign policy, she launched a new division in the protocol office, Diplomatic Partnerships Division. Through programming under this section she introduced the foreign Diplomatic Corps to business, government and community leaders across America, creating sustained, mutually beneficial partnerships. Ms. Marshall also created the Diplomatic Culinary Partnership to elevate the role of culinary engagement in America’s formal and public diplomacy efforts, and established the Patrons of Diplomacy, a successful initiative that raised $20.1 million to create the first permanent endowment to preserve and protect the Diplomatic Reception Rooms at the Department of State.

During her tenure as Chief of Protocol, Ms. Marshall worked tirelessly to set a new global protocol standard. As host of the first-ever Global Chiefs of Protocol Conference, she led a conversation among nearly 100 of her counterparts on 21st century diplomacy – fostering critical dialogue and envisioning the way forward.

From 1993 to 1997, Ms. Marshall served as Special Assistant to the First Lady of the United States. In 1997, Ms. Marshall was appointed Deputy Assistant to the President and White House Social Secretary.

Capricia Penavic Marshall holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Political Science from Purdue University and a Juris Doctor from Case Western Reserve University School of Law. In 2013, Ms. Marshall was awarded the Order of the Cross of Isabel La Católica from Spanish Ambassador, Ramón Gil-Casares and The Secretary’s Distinguished Service Award by Secretary Hillary Clinton. She is married to Dr. Robert James Marshall, a cardiologist, and they have one son.