Capricia Penavic Marshall
BA 1986
JD 1989, Case Western Reserve University
Ambassador-in-Residence, Atlantic Council, Washington, DC
Former Chief of Protocol, U.S. Department of State, Washington, DC
Capricia Penavic Marshall serves as Ambassador-in-Residence at the Atlantic Council in Washington, DC. She is President of Global Engagement Strategies, which advises international public and private clients on issues relating to the nexus of business and cultural diplomacy. She travels across the country speaking to organizations and corporations about her experiences, lessons she has learned throughout her career in public service, and how best to integrate cultural diplomacy into business.
From 2009 to 2013, she was Chief of Protocol of the United States, bearing the rank of Ambassador and setting the stage for diplomacy at the highest levels. In this capacity, she worked to leverage U.S. relationships with foreign governments developing strategies to transform global engagement. Ms. Marshall oversaw six State and Official Visits, countless Working Visits, the G20, Nuclear Security, APEC, G8, NATO and Sunnylands Summits, and the protocol arrangements during travel with the President and Secretaries of State to forty-two countries. Moving beyond traditional methods of engagement, Ms. Marshall fostered international goodwill through a new division in the protocol office, Diplomatic Partnerships. With creative programming under this division she created sustained, mutually beneficial partnerships between the foreign Diplomatic Corps and business, government and community leaders across America.
From 1997 to 2001, Ms. Marshall served as Deputy Assistant to the President and White House Social Secretary. From 1993 to 1997, she was Special Assistant to the First Lady of the United States, Hillary Rodham Clinton. In addition to her Bachelor’s Degree in Political Science from Purdue University, Ms. Marshall holds a Juris Doctor from Case Western Reserve University School of Law, where she received the prestigious Society of Benchers award in 2012.
Ms. Marshall is a first-generation American of Croatian and Mexican descent. In 2013, she was awarded the Distinguished Service Award from the Secretary of State and the Order of the Cross of Isabel La Católica from the Ambassador of Spain. She is a member of the Council of American Ambassadors. She has been named to ELLE magazine's annual “Washington Power List,” as one of DC’s most influential women. Ms Marshall is currently serves on the boards of the Case Western University International Advisory Board, The Strategic Planning Board, The Blair House Restoration Fund and The Council of American Ambassadors.