The San Diego Diplomacy Council’s Advisory Board meets periodically to provide expert insights and feedback on the San Diego Diplomacy Council’s programs and strategic initiatives and assist the Council with identifying and fostering new connections and opportunities.
Dean J. Haas
Advisory Board Chair
Dean J. Haas is the principal/owner of DJH Coaching. In his private executive coaching practice, he works with government professionals as well as with clients in the business, educational, healthcare, high tech, think tank and NGO sectors. Dean also serves as a part-time Senior Advisor and Leadership Coach for the U.S. State Department. From 1987 to 2011, Dean served as an officer in the U.S. Foreign Service, retiring with the rank of Minister-Counselor. From 2010-11, he was Consul General at the U.S. Consulate General in Ciudad Juarez, Mexico.Read more
His 25 years of diplomatic service saw him assigned to Slovenia, Canada, Turkey, and Colombia. Approximately half of his career was spent in leadership positions in Washington DC. Dean has served on the extended staff of the Secretary of State and as a Deputy Executive Secretary on the National Security Council staff at the White House. He is a native of Chula Vista, a graduate of UCSD, and returned to live in San Diego full-time in 2017.
Rajan Agarwal
Rajan is Assistant Controller at SDG&E. He has been in the energy sector for over 20 years and has had various leadership position in the area of accounting, finance and income taxes. Prior to Sempra, Rajan was also in public accounting with the accounting firm of Pricewaterhouse Coopers. Aside from his volunteer work with the San Diego Diplomacy Council, Rajan volunteered his time and talents to Coronado School of the Arts Foundation, Grant School Community Foundation, and the San Diego Children’s Choir Parent Association.
Knox Bell
Knox Bell was a business transaction attorney in San Diego for more than 50 years, with the law firm of Gray Cary, now named DLA Piper. The law firm has more than 4,000 attorneys, in more than 45 countries. Knox’s area of legal practice has been focused on entrepreneurial technology companies, and biomedical research organizations.Read more
For personal cultural travel experiences, Knox has traveled in more than 100 countries. Knox has a law degree from UCLA (1968), and a bachelor degree from UC-Davis. Knox studied for one year (1961-62) at the University in Aix-en-Provence, France. Knox is pleased to be a citizen of the global world, and he is eager to expand his knowledge and interests worldwide.
James C. Clark
James Clark is Managing Director and Director of Development for California/Bajio Associates. C/BA works to link academic, business, and civic enterprises between the Californias (California/Baja California) and the Bajio region of Mexico (Queretaro/Guanajuato, San Luis Potosi, Aguascalientes and Michoacan). Clark is currently serving as a Trustee for the Chula Vista Library Board of Trustees and is Senior Advisor to the Institute of the Americas. Clark is a native of Illinois, and a graduate of the University of Illinois at Urbana with a B.S. in Marketing. Read more
After military service in New York, Fort Knox, Kentucky, and Würzburg, Germany, he began his professional career in San Diego as an advertising account executive. Among his clients at the time were the San Diego Padres, Caliente Racecourse, and various real estate developments. With a partner, he moved north to found a Los Angeles-based magazine company to publish airline in-flight magazines. When he left that company—East/West Network—ten years later, more than 60 percent of all flights in the United States carried the company’s magazines. Following publishing ventures included serving as President/Publisher of San Francisco Magazine, the city magazine for the Bay Area, and Publisher of The Executive, a business magazine that profiled Los Angeles and Orange County companies through the eyes of those companies’ chief executive officers. Clark was also Director of Magazine Development at Freedom Communications in Irvine, and interim publisher of both World Trade and Latin Trade magazines, based in Irvine and Miami, respectively.
Prior to leading the California/Bajio Associates, Clark was the Founding Executive Director of the San Diego/Tijuana Smart Border Coalition (2007/2017). The Coalition is the leading bi-national organization working to ease border wait times between California and Baja California. It is the only regional organization with board members equally from Both San Diego and Tijuana. The Coalition also promotes the San Diego-Tijuana Region for investment, and is an advocacy group for bi-national border efficiency issues in Mexico City and Washington. Clark was the founding Director of the San Diego Regional Chamber of Commerce Mexico Business Center and led the organization for 11 years (2003-2014). Before joining the SDRCC, he was Director for the Californias of the United States-Mexico Chamber of Commerce, based in Los Angeles (1997-2003). The United States-Mexico Chamber is headquartered in Washington, D. C. with sub-headquarters in Mexico City.
Clark has served on the Advisory Boards of San Diego Citizen’s Diplomacy Council, XLNC1 Classical Radio and LEAD San Diego. He has been a Member of the Board of Directors of the International Community Foundation and Olivewood Gardens and Learning Center as well as having served as the U.S. California Regional Team Leader for FUMEC and BIMI (Border Intelligent Manufacturing Initiative). He is a member of the North American Competitiveness Initiative of the George W. Bush Center, Dallas. He also continues as an Honorary Board Member of the San Diego/Tijuana Smart Border Coalition as well as being a board member of Mainly Mozart, the South (San Diego) County Economic Development Council, the German-American Foundation, Tijuana Innovadora, and the Burnham Center for Community Advancement. He was inducted into the Tijuana Paseo de la Fama in 2015.
Clark has been honored by the Congress of the United States, California State Senate, the State of Baja California, the Consulates General of Canada, Mexico and the United States, Tijuana Economic Development Corporation, Tijuana Innovadora, Tijuana Economic Development Corporation, and the Mayors of San Diego and Tijuana among others for his service to the region.
Felena Hanson
Felena is a long-time entrepreneur and marketing maven. Her latest venture, Hera Hub, is a spa-inspired shared workspace and business accelerator for female entrepreneurs. This as-needed, flexible work and meeting space provides a productive environment for growing businesses. Hera Hub members have access to a professional space to meet with clients and to connect and collaborate with like-minded business owners, thus giving them the support they need to be prosperous. Over the last decade, Hera Hub and its family of brands have helped over 13,000 women start or grow their businesses. Hera Hub is a Certified Public Benefit Corporation, which commits the company to higher standards of purpose, accountability, and transparency. Felena is a published author and international speaker. Her book, “Flight Club – Rebel, Reinvent, and Thrive: How to Launch Your Dream Business” is available on Amazon.
Chinyeh Hostler
Chinyeh Hostler was born and raised in Taiwan. After finishing college, she came to the United States to pursue higher education, first studying at Columbia University in New York for a year and a half, later relocating to San Diego. Upon graduating from San Diego State University and working for large financial firms for several years, she realized her deep desire was to travel and to learn about different cultures and people. Thus, she established an import and export company which allowed her to explore many parts of the world. So far, she has been to 150 countries and is eager to visit more.
Chinyeh’s late husband, Charles Hostler, Ph.D., was a distinguished U.S. Ambassador and received medals from 9 countries and 4 religious leaders. She works diligently to carry on his philanthropic legacy at the Charles Hostler Institute on World Affairs at SDSU and the American University of Beirut in Lebanon, among other non-profit organizations. Chinyeh is working on her own philanthropic projects, and is also a member of the Advisory Board of San Diego World Affairs Council.
Kit Ladwig
Kit is a long-time member of the San Diego Diplomacy Council and its predecessor, the International Visitors Council of San Diego. Over the years she and her family have enjoyed entertaining international visitors and had dinner with our Vietnamese IVLP delegates last Friday. Her interest in international relations was sparked by a year spent studying in France on a Fulbright scholarship. She holds a BA and MA in French language and literature and, as a returning adult, studied journalism at San Diego State University.
Fernando Z. López
Fernando Z. López is a transformative leader and dedicated advocate for LGBTQ+ rights, whose career spans over two decades of significant contributions to human rights, social justice, and community empowerment. Originally from rural El Centro, California, López moved to San Diego as a homeless youth in 1999 and has since emerged as a prominent figure in the global LGBTQ+ advocacy community.
Throughout their career, López has held pivotal roles in influential organizations such as Equality California (EQCA), Marriage Equality USA (MEUSA), and the National LGBTQ Task Force. As the former Executive Director of San Diego Pride, López transformed the organization from an event-centric entity into a year-round nexus of LGBTQ+ art, advocacy, and education. Under their leadership, San Diego Pride became recognized as the world’s most philanthropic Pride organization, having contributed over $3.5 million globally.
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Internationally, López founded the Orgullo Sin Fronteras Binational LGBTQ Conference and the Pride World Forum. They developed the curriculum for the Fulbright Program and facilitated the 2023 InterPride Conference in San Diego, which convened over 500 LGBTQ+ leaders from 40 countries and 190 cities. In working with the San Diego Diplomacy Council, López has engaged with over 600 leaders from more than 140 countries.
López’s policy initiatives have significantly advanced LGBTQ+ inclusivity in the arts, education, employment, athletics, and government institutions, with special attention to intersectional QTBIPOC communities. They have spearheaded numerous campaigns that promote LGBTQ+ candidates and initiatives, enhance voter outreach, and support marginalized groups within the LGBTQ+ community. Beyond organizational leadership, López is a respected speaker, columnist, and consultant, known for impactful workshops and training sessions that emphasize storytelling, strategic planning, and the practical application of intersectional justice.
Fernando Z. López’s unwavering dedication to intersectional social justice and their profound impact on the LGBTQ+ community and beyond have established them as a beacon of leadership and an inspiration to activists worldwide. Their legacy is characterized by compassion, advocacy, and a relentless pursuit of equality.
Jeremy Martin
Jeremy Martin, Vice President Energy & Sustainability Jeremy M. Martin is Vice President, Energy & Sustainability at the Institute of the Americas, an inter-American public policy think-tank located at the University of California San Diego (UCSD). The Institute of the Americas Energy & Sustainability Program works to foster a deeper understanding of the most critical energy issues facing the Western Hemisphere.Read more
Jeremy spends his time delving into the geopolitics of energy and closely following energy industry trends and policy issues across the Americas, and is a frequent commentator and writer on Latin American and energy issues. Jeremy has testified before the US Congress on energy issues in Latin America, teaches a graduate course in Latin American Energy Policy at UCSD and the University of San Diego (USD) and serves on the Board of Advisors for the Inter-American Dialogue’s Energy Advisor newsletter. He also serves on the Board of Directors of the San Diego Diplomacy Council and is a member of the host committee for the Crohn’s & Colitis Foundation San Diego Chapter annual Bet on Cures event. Thanks to his upbringing, he is a diehard Red Sox fan, Civil War buff, and news junkie. Jeremy graduated with honors in History from The Citadel in Charleston, SC and a Masters in International Affairs/International Development from the American University in Washington, DC. He has yet to achieve his lifelong dream of being a Stand-Up Comic.
Mary McKenzie. J.D., Ph.D.
Dr. Mary McKenzie received her BA from Georgetown University and her MA and PhD in political science from the University of California, Santa Barbara. More recently, Dr. McKenzie received her J.D. from the University of San Diego School of Law. During her graduate studies, she spent several years in Germany, where she studied German foreign policy in the context of transatlantic relations. She was also awarded a MacArthur postdoctoral research fellowship at the Peace Research Institute in Frankfurt to investigate international security institutions. In 2001, Dr. McKenzie was selected to participate in an International Faculty Development Seminar on Contemporary Cuba, sponsored by the Council for International Educational Exchange.Read more
Since receiving her Ph.D. in political science from the University of California, Santa Barbara in 1994, Dr. McKenzie has taught regularly in the Political Science Department. She also has taught at California State University, San Marcos and at Grossmont College. At USD, Dr. McKenzie teaches both graduate and undergraduate courses in international relations, including International Organizations, American Foreign Policy, Politics and the Environment, International Human Rights, and Model UN.
Alex Montoya
Alex Montoya is an activist, award-winning public speaker, thought leader, and director of the Alex Montoya Foundation in San Diego who focuses on inspiration, inclusion, and diversity and celebrates disability and immigrant communities. He has written eight books, including a children’s book about inclusion and has a podcast “The Alex Montoya Podcast.”
Alex has won a “Lifetime Achievement Award” from the San Diego Hispanic Chamber; was given a Medal of Honor from the Colombian government; and carried the Olympic Torch in 1996. He has delivered his message for audiences including Google, NASA, Harvard, and the NFL’s Denver Broncos. Alex earned his Bachelor Degree at the University of Notre Dame and a Master’s from the University of San Francisco.
Alex is on the Board of Directors for the Gurmilan Foundation, which supports people with disabilities in San Diego and Tijuana, Mexico. A native of Medellin, Colombia, Alex immigrated as a youth to San Diego, California, where he resides.
Fern P. Nelson M.D.
Born in Detroit Michigan, Dr. Fern P. Nelson graduated from Wellesley College (1975) and University of Michigan Medical School (1980). Her dermatology residency was completed at University of Illinois where she remained as an Assistant Clinical Instructor teaching dermatology residents and students. She served as Division Chair of Dermatology at West Side Veterans Administration Hospital, was well as having a private practice (1984-2000). Dr. Nelson joined the faculty of the Department of Dermatology at UCSD upon her move to southern California in 2002. She was head of medical student education in Dermatology as well as teaching dermatology residents until her recent retirement in 2020. Dr. Nelson is a founding member of the San Diego African American Museum of Fine Art, and member of the Balboa Park Conservancy.
Carl Nettleton
Carl Nettleton is an award-winning writer, speaker, and subject matter expert regarding water, climate, sustainability, the ocean, and U.S. Mexico affairs. His consultancy, Nettleton Strategies, helps clients to move toward the future by providing analysis, insight, and strategic problem-solving. He is also the founder of OpenOceans Global, an international NGO focused on the ocean plastic crisis. Carl serves on the national and California advisory councils for Environmental Entrepreneurs (E2), a national, nonpartisan group of business owners, investors and others who advocate for policies that are good for the economy and good for the environment. He is the co-chair of the San Diego Water Conservation Action Committee (CAC). Business memberships include the Greater San Diego Chamber of Commerce, Lambda Alpha, the South County Economic Development Council, the Border Philanthropy Partnership, and the Smart Border Coalition. As a member and past president of the Kiwanis Club of San Diego and a board member of the club’s foundation, Carl helps to serve the local community through philanthropy and service.
Sharon Payne
Sharon Payne is currently immersed in the discipline of impact investing and philanthropy with an emphasis on seeking local, national and global solutions which increase equality of opportunity, promote sustainability and eradicate poverty. She has decades of experience as a financial advisor, having operated her own certified financial planning practice specializing in socially responsible investing as well as taking an active role in her family’s real estate investment/management business and family foundation.
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Sharon is an active participant in her community. Through the San Diego Diplomacy Council she served on the board of directors and various committees for four years and was very active in hosting many of their international professional fellows in cross-cultural exchanges. She serves on the Board of Advisors for Kroc School of Peace Studies at the University of San Diego. Sharon also is on the Board of Trustees of LIFT Development, Inc. a non-profit community development organization and small business accelerator. Sharon also curates and leads an international, cultural-themed book club with The Worldview Project each month and has served in a variety of volunteer leadership positions with the Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater San Diego.
As a life-long learner, Sharon is eager to continue exploring the complex and charged intersection of finance, sustainability and equity. She earned a BA in Business Administration from the University of San Diego and a MA in Liberal Arts & Sciences from San Diego State University. Sharon resides in Kensington with her husband and two sons.
Julia Rauner Guerrero
Julia Rauner Guerrero developed her extensive international business expertise through 35 years of leadership positions with the US Department of Commerce’s US Foreign Commercial Service (USFCS) in the US, Europe, Latin America, and Africa. She is a proven leader of diverse, cross-cultural teams both at US Embassies and through virtual worldwide industry initiatives.Julia retired to her hometown of San Diego, California at the end of 2022 with her husband and nearby their adult children. She volunteers with immigration and environmental entities and serves as a San Diego Diplomacy Council Advisory Board member.
Elena Salsitz
Elena Salsitz has taught International Business Protocol & Diplomacy for 17 years at SDSU. She was selected as Most Influential Professor for the International Business Dept for 3 of the last 6 yrs and was honored at 3 College of Arts and Letters graduation ceremonies. She was also recognized by the Vanguard Group as an Influential Faculty Member, and was awarded Honorary Membership in the Golden Key International Honor Society at SDSU, one of four faculty members selected annually by student Honor Society members. Read more Ms. Salsitz has served in a number of protocol/diplomacy roles, including as Chief of Protocol for the City of San Diego, Chief of Protocol for NASA (Johnson Space Center in Houston), British Honorary Consul in SD (a State Department and British government appointment), Protocol Chief for the San Diego Chamber of Commerce’s Insights Program, and Special Assistant to the Mayor of Indianapolis. As the City of San Diego’s Chief of Protocol, she served under 3 Mayors and led the City’s diplomatic affairs and international relations, managing relationships with diverse city communities, including corporate, trade, military, non-profit, and international organizations. As NASA Chief of Protocol, she hosted and managed the visits of Presidents, Cabinet members, kings and queens, international heads of state/govt, foreign ministers, legislators, CEOs, celebrities (movie, TV, music, etc); she was awarded several NASA honors including the NASA Administrator’s Commendation, Certificate of Commendation, Superior Achievement Award, and multiple Outstanding Performance awards. She also worked with the cast and crew of the film Apollo 13, and appears in the credits. While serving as NASA Chief of Protocol, she served a detail in the White House Social Office, coordinating holiday events in the Executive Office of the President (EOP), Office of the Social Secretary. Other professional positions included financial and strategic analyst of NBC’s satellite broadcasting system, public affairs analyst for anticancer and other pharmaceuticals for a multinational pharmaceutical company, and deejay at an album-oriented rock station in North Carolina. Ms. Salsitz has an undergraduate degree from Duke University and an MBA from Columbia University Graduate School of Business.
Jill Schillinger
Ms. Jill Schillinger currently works for the Department of Defense. Jill spent her initial years at a Defense Logistics Agency (DLA) serving as Program Manager for Foreign Military Sales. Jill represented the US government in key foreign policy security assistance efforts, including working to rebuild Bosnia, drug enforcement support in Columbia, Peru, and Bolivia, and development support in Africa. Additionally, she facilitated the successful transfer of all F-111 aircraft spare parts in the Air Force and DLA inventory to Australia. Jill received the Vice-Presidential Hammer Award for Customer Service and DLA Personnel of the Year for her contributions to the agency. Read more Jill is level III in Program Management and Production, Quality and Manufacturing in the Acquisition Professional Development Program and a member of the Department of Defense Acquisition Corp. She has a Masters of Arts Degree in International and Public Affairs from the University of Pittsburgh with special certification in International Political Economy, a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Political Science and a minor in Economics from the University of Tampa.
Jonathan Shulman
Jonathan Shulman is the founding Director of the Center for Excellence in Citizenship at La Jolla Country Day School, where he has fostered civic engagement through partnerships with key organizations such as the San Diego Diplomacy Council, the San Diego Historical Center, and the Museum of Us. He also coordinates educational travel opportunities and serves as the Head Teacher-Coach for the Torrey Mock Trial Team. In 2020, Jonathan co-founded the Global Leadership Youth Program in collaboration with the San Diego Diplomacy Council, continuing to inspire youth across San Diego to engage with international experts and multilateral diplomacy simulations.
With a BA in Political Science from Tufts University and a Master’s in War Studies from King’s College London, Jonathan has been an educator for over two decades. He is a former President of the California World History Association and has directed academic programs for high school students at leading universities, including Brown, Georgetown, and Penn’s Wharton Global Youth Program.
Jonathan’s dedication to education and civic engagement has earned him several honors, including the 2018 La Jolla Rotary Educator of the Year and the 2021 Bak’d Apple Award, the highest distinction at La Jolla Country Day School. A movie enthusiast, Jonathan co-produced and directed the documentary Minyan In Kaifeng, about the descendants of China’s ancient Jewish community.
Yen Tu
Yen Tu was born in Saigon, Vietnam and came to the United States as a refugee with her family in 1977. She is one of 10 children. A San Diego resident since 1978, she graduated from UCSD in 1990 with a BA degree in Chinese Studies. Yen owns a consulting business focused on marketing, community outreach and special events. Her clients include the Chinese Historical Museum, City of San Diego, BAME CDC, Asian Business Association, Center City Development Corporation (CCDC), San Diego Chinese Center, I Love a Clean San Diego, and Linda Vista Multi-Cultural Fair. Read more
Yen’s previous positions include serving as the Community Relations Manager for Viejas Enterprises, Executive Director for the Asian Business Association, Senior Campaigner for United Way of San Diego County, and Legislative Aid for two City of San Diego Council Members, and one San Diego County Supervisor.
