Advisory Board
Charlotte Shultz, Honorary Chairperson
(2016-2021)
Chief of Protocol, State of California, Chief of Protocol, City and County of San Francisco
John Aitken
Director of Aviation, Mineta San Jose International Airport
Kim Becker
President/CEO San Diego County Regional Airport Authority
Lanie Denslow
Principal, World Wise Intercultural Training & Resources & Immediate Past-President PDI-POA
The Honorable Rod Diridon, Sr.
Retired Emeritus Executive Director, Mineta Transportation Institute; Former Elected Official and National Transportation Leader
Carl Guardino
Former President and CEO Silicon Valley Leadership Group
Robert Hickey
Deputy Director, Protocol School of Washington
Natalie Jones
Senior Vice President, External Affairs and Diplomatic Engagement, Meridian International Center, Former Acting Chief of Protocol, U.S. Department of State
The Honorable Norman Y. Mineta (2018-2022)
Former Secretary of Transportation and Commerce, United States Congressman, Mayor of San Jose
Katherine Moss
Former Director General, Consular Corps College
Carolina Rudisel
Protocol Officer, NASA Ames Research Center
Lourdes Saab
Deputy Chief of Protocol, Los Angeles County Office of Protocol
Virginia Sunday
Airport Protocol Officer, San Francisco International Airport
Ambassador Gentry O. Smith (Currently Inactive)
Assistant Secretary of State, Diplomatic Security, United States Department of State
The Honorable Louis J. Vella
Vice Dean, San Francisco Consular Corps, Honorary Consul of The Republic of Malta, Dean of the US Consular Corps College
Glenda Wina
U.S. Representative for Special Projects, Office of the Vice President of Zambia & Former Director of Special Projects, Los Angeles County Office of Protocol
Chris Young
Former President, Protocol Officer’s Association, Former Chief of Protocol, State of Georgia
Chief of Protocol
Deanna Tryon
Silicon Valley Chief of Protocol Deanna Tryon was born in San Francisco, and raised in Los Altos Hills. She received her Bachelor’s Degree in Government from the University of San Francisco and her Master’s Degree in Public Policy from Harvard University. She worked as an Information Officer for the British Consulate-General in Los Angeles, and for both the Los Angeles Mayor’s Office of Protocol and the Mayor’s Office of Economic Development. She worked for the Los Angeles County Office of Protocol for many years before returning to the Bay Area to serve as the Silicon Valley Chief of Protocol in May, 2014. Ms. Tryon also serves on the Board of Chancellors of the Consular Corps College in Washington, D.C.