President
President
Pamela Eyring is the president and owner of The Protocol School of Washington®, which is accredited with the Accrediting Council for Continuing Education and Training. With more than three decades of public and private sector experience in operational protocol and educational development, Pamela has an extensive knowledge of US and international practices and is a global thought leader in the etiquette and protocol industry. After acquiring the PSOW from founder Dorothea Johnson in 2005, Pamela soon expanded the School’s operations internationally with course work in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Trinidad & Tobago, and the Republic of Turkey. She made a permanent overseas expansion in 2012, opening a Middle East and Gulf Region office in Dubai, UAE. In both the US and Dubai offices, the PSOW’s curriculum focuses on building professional relationships through cultural understanding, communication, and respect. Prior to her work at PSOW, Pamela was Chief of Protocol at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, (the first civilian to hold the position), where she planned and directed military, government, international and civic ceremonies, conferences, special events and presidential visits. In both her military and professional work, she has worked with heads of state, four-star general officers, CEOs of Fortune 500 companies, leaders in academia, and entrepreneurs from around the globe. Because of her expertise in cross cultural communication, international protocol and etiquette, Pamela was named as the Washington Business Journal’s first monthly Biz Etiquette columnist. She is also regularly featured as a protocol and etiquette expert in major national and international print and digital out-lets that include The Wall Street Journal; The New York Times; The Washington Post; Associated Press; Forbes.com; Entrepreneur.com; Inc.com; The Federal Times; The Gulf News; and Real Simple magazine. In addition, Pamela is regularly featured on national and regional radio and TV outlets including the To-day Show; CNN; FOX-TV; AARP-TV, and ABC Radio Network.
Vice President and Managing Director – Middle East and North Africa (MENA) Region
Vice President and Managing Director – Middle East and North Africa (MENA) Region
Saeed Al-Salkhadi is the Managing Director of the Gulf & Middle East Region, at the Protocol School of Washington, the first and only nationally accredited school of its kind in the United States. Since 2012, Mr. Al-Salkhadi heads the regional office of the school, leads the efforts to position the school at the forefront of the industry, and establish strategic partnership with local government offices and private sector corporations. Mr. Al-Salkhadi conducts trainings for the Protocol School of Washington® in the MENA region as well as individual seminars and coaching sessions on matters of protocol, etiquette, and cross-cultural diplomacy. He has trained several governmental, educational, and private organizations in the region. His areas of specialty include: Protocol History and Foundation, Titles and Forms of Address, Cross-Cultural Awareness, Business Etiquette and Diplomacy, and Executive Presence. In 2003 after receiving his bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering from the University of Sharjah, he joined a private group in Abu Dhabi specialized in life support services for Armed Forces in the Gulf. In 2006, he was among the first ten staff to join the mega-project “Jebel Ali Airport City” known today as “Dubai World Central” where he oversaw the research & development section at the real estate division. In 2007, he received his first master’s degree in engineering management from the American University of Sharjah (AUS). In 2009, Mr. Alsalkhadi was hired as Director of Business Development by Delos Living, an American group who is specialized in Wellness Real Estate, at the Regional Office in Dubai. In 2010, he received his MBA in International Marketing from the American University in Dubai (AUD), UAE.
Deputy Director / Senior Master Trainer
Deputy Director / Senior Master Trainer
Robert Hickey, Deputy Director of the Protocol School of Washington® has been with the School since its first training in 1988. At Protocol Officer Training™, Mr. Hickey presents on the use of titles and forms of address in official situations. Topics of discussion include: forms of address for private citizens; professionals and academics; federal, state, and municipal officials; armed services; diplomats and representatives to international organizations; foreign officials; royalty and nobility; and clergy. Also included are segments on: joint forms of address; introductions; courtesy titles; style and usage; and precedence. Hickey has written, developed, or contributed to many books, but his most recent project is as author of Honor & Respect: The Official Guide to Names, Titles, and Forms of Address (2013, The Protocol School of Washington®, ISBN 978-0-9891886-0-9, foreword by Pamela Eyring). The book includes complete formulas for correspondence, outside and inside invitation envelopes, place cards, introductions, and even what to call the VIP in conversation or in a receiving line. The book’s 576 pages include formats for more officials in more organizations than any other book ever published. It includes sections on the United States, Great Britain, Canada, Australia and more than 190 other countries. Of special note are sections on the officials of Native American Tribes (never before in print); and religious officials in every major religious group (many for the first time in print); a 70-page glossary; and a 1,500-entry index. Library Journal calls the book “An essential purchase for all libraries.” Complete information can be viewed at www.formsofaddress.info.Mr. Hickey has been featured on CNN, CNN International, the Wall Street Journal, Politico, New York Magazine, and many other publications. He speaks frequently around the country to professional groups on a wide range of etiquette and protocol issues. Mr. Hickey also presents at the Etiquette and Leadership Institute, Athens, Georgia, and has taught marketing, graphic design, and production at George Washington University, Washington, DC.
Senior Master Trainer
Senior Master Trainer
Diane Brown is a recognized pioneer in the protocol training arena. She presents protocol educational seminars and briefings to Fortune 500 companies, military professionals, government executives and academia. Ms. Brown managed high-profile events and coordinated key projects in partnership with The White House, United States Department of State, and The Pentagon. She served as Deputy Director of Protocol for the Office of the Secretary of Defense, Pentagon, Washington, D.C. Notable events include the nationally televised Memorial Service attended by more than 20,000 guests to honor the Pentagon victims of September 11, the historic Pentagon Memorial Dedication in September 2008, and the State Funerals of President Ronald Reagan and President Gerald R. Ford and multiple international conferences. Ms. Brown has supported international training programs in Bahrain, Belgium, Germany, Jordan, Qatar r, Saudi Arabia, Surinam, Trinidad & Tobago, Turkey, and the United Arab Emirates. She is a founding board member and an active member of Protocol & Diplomacy International –Protocol Officers Association (PDI-POA). She is a graduate of George Washington University’s Event Management certificate program. A multiple award winner, Ms. Brown received the PDI-POA Spirit of Diplomacy Award in August 2005. In 2014, she was presented with the International Protocol Leadership and Excellence Award.
Trainer
Trainer
Karen Bryk is a Canadian protocol specialist who was invested as a Member of the Royal Victorian Order (MVO) by Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II in 2002 for personal service to the Sovereign and now carries the initials MVO after her name. She also received the Queen Elizabeth II Golden Jubilee Medal in 2002 to commemorate the 50th Anniversary of the ascension of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth to the throne. The Medal was awarded to Canadians who made outstanding and exemplary contributions to their communities or to Canada as whole. Ms Bryk has served with distinction at the international, national, and local protocol levels. As Deputy Chief of Protocol for the Government of Manitoba for 19 years, she played a vital role in the scheduling and arrangements for Royal, state, official, and private visits/funerals to Manitoba of VIPs such as the Royal Family, Governor General, Heads of State (Presidents), Ambassadors & High Commissioners, Consul Generals, Parliamentarians, Senior Government Officials and Delegations. She worked closely with the Department of Foreign Affairs, Embassies, High Commissions, Consulates General, Consular Corps, law enforcement agencies, military, judiciary, Chambers of Commerce, international/provincial protocol offices, and municipality officials. Ms. Bryk formerly served for 11 years as Information and Cultural Services Officer with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Government of Japan at the Consulate General of Japan in Winnipeg. In 2000, Ms. Bryk served as a liaison officer for the Government of Canada at the first International War Affected Children’s Conference, whose participants included over 100 Foreign Ministers and Ambassadors. In 2010, Ms Bryk served as the Chief of Protocol for the Manitoba Pavilion at the Vancouver 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Games in Vancouver, Canada for which she received a Service Excellence Award from the Government of Manitoba. Ms. Bryk has served in advisory capacity to the Boards of Directors for Protocol Professionals International (San Francisco), and is a founding member of the Protocol and Diplomacy International - Protocol Officers Association (Washington, D.C.) and proudly served as Summit Chair for the Protocol School of Washington Summit in 2014.
Trainer
Trainer
Greg Canty comes to our organization with a wealth of leadership and protocol experience. After serving over 25 years in the United States Army, Mr. Canty retired from the armed services in 2013 in the Washington, D.C. area. He is currently the Director of Executive Services at the Office of the Surgeon General where he acts as the primary advisor and Chief of Protocol to the Surgeon General of the Army and the Commanding General of the U.S. Army Medical Command. While in uniform, Mr. Canty held the position as the U.S. Army’s Program Manager for the White House Social Aide Program where he performed and led protocol duties for ceremonies such as, White House State Dinners, Presidential Bill Signings, Rose Garden Receptions, and Presidential Receiving Lines. For five consecutive years, he was responsible for providing direct protocol support to Presidents Barack Obama and George W. Bush. One of the greatest highlights of Mr. Canty’s professional career is his appointment as the military officer-in-charge of the U.S. Capitol platform for the 2009 Presidential Inauguration. Mr. Canty’s protocol expertise was instrumental in supporting the Joint Congressional Committee on Inaugural Ceremonies and its successful execution. Greg Canty received his Bachelor's Degree in Business Management from the University of Tampa and his Master's Degree in Business Management, Cum Laude from Webster University.
Trainer
Trainer
Ghassan Hajjaj is a Dubai-based training facilitator and coach with a long history of managing trainings and events in the world of luxury. After graduating from The Protocol School of Washington® in 2005, Mr. Hajjaj started training corporations and individuals in the Arabian Gulf countries on matters of corporate etiquette and protocol. He has provided trainings in more than 35 countries, has lived in 6 countries, and speaks eight languages. His many travels and training presentations across the globe have given him a unique insight into people skills and the diplomacy needed to interact and cooperate with people of many different backgrounds and cultures. Having found his true passion in protocol, Mr. Hajjaj continued his training with The Protocol School of Washington® and attended the Protocol Officer’s Training, in Washington DC in 2009. In 2011, he was trained and certified in United Nations Protocol through UNITAR, the United Nations Institute for Training and Research. Mr. Hajjaj currently provides training for the PSOW in the Middle East and Arabian Gulf regions, as well as individual seminars and coaching sessions on matters of protocol, etiquette, and cross-cultural business diplomacy.
Trainer
Trainer
Mark is an acclaimed consultant - having worked with dozens of Fortune 500 companies in six of the seven continents of the world. As an author and highly de-manded speaker, Mark has an innovative, results-focused passion for helping people make a difference. Mark first joined the Walt Disney World Resort® in 1978, working in a wide variety of leadership roles. After more than ten years, Mark left to establish The Consultant Network®, eventually leading over five dozen professional consultants. In 1992, during his doctoral studies, Mark was recruited to lead the consulting team at the Federal Aviation Administration’s national training headquarters. Mark played a key role in the Department of Transportation’s organizational redesign - spearheading initiatives such as executive development, assessment, and design, change dynamics, self-managed/directed work teams, and train-the-trainer programs. Mark returned to the Walt Disney World Resort® in 1996 to help lead the transformation of the Disney Institute Business Programs. While in this role, Mark was in charge of Leadership, Creativity & Innovation, and Quality Service initiatives. He also served externally as the senior project manager for numerous highly successful large-scale organizational initiatives for leading domestic and international corporations - many of which are showcased in the Disney-published book Be Our Guest: Perfecting the Art of Customer Service. In recognition of his contribution to the Disney organization, Mark was nominated for the prestigious “Partner’s in Excellence” award – Disney’s highest regarded corporate award.
Trainer
Trainer
Nicole L. Krakora is a nationally recognized leader in the events and protocol industries with more than three decades’ experience in both the private and public sectors. She is also a Certified Master Trainer®. Since 1988, Nicole has produced and/or advanced numerous events involving heads of state, world leaders, high-level U.S. and foreign dignitaries, diplomats, professional athletes, performing artists, Hollywood celebrities, explorers, scholars, and other VIP guests and honorees. Throughout her career, her contacts have included the most senior levels of the White House, the Administration, the State Department and other Cabinet-level offices, Congress, the Supreme Court, the Secret Service, the diplomatic corps, foreign governments, and corporate leadership.
Nicole is an independent events and protocol strategist, providing consultation services and presenting educational seminars and briefings to Fortune 500 companies, non-profit organizations, military, state and Federal agencies, government executives, and academia, among others. She also serves as a freelance event producer and project manager for high-level, logistically complex, national events.
Prior to founding her company in 2012, Nicole spent 17 years as a senior executive at the Smithsonian Institution, the world’s largest museum and research complex. She served as Director of Protocol and Senior Advisor for Events and Advance from 2011 until 2012. From 1995 until 2011, she served as the Smithsonian’s Director of Special Events and Protocol; during which time, she established the advance and protocol functions at the Institution and was appointed the Smithsonian’s first-ever Chief of Protocol.
Nicole was educated at the University of Virginia. Trained and licensed by the Protocol School of Washington®, she provides individual and group instruction in International, Business, and Children’s Protocol and Etiquette; Protocol Officer Training; Dining Etiquette; and Taking Tea. Nicole earned her Cultural Competency Facilitator Certifications from Aperian Global in: GlobeSmart© Profile; GlobeSmart© Teaming Assessment; and Developing Global Leaders: GlobeSmart© Leadership Assessment. In 2014, she received her Certified Master Trainer® designation from The Association for Training and Development.
Nicole has served as a Senior Master Trainer for The Protocol School of Washington® since 2006. As a subject matter expert in international protocol, cultural competency, and global mobility, she is also a frequent speaker on the topics of international and diplomatic protocol, cultural diplomacy, and multi-cultural communication. She is an active member of Protocol and Diplomacy International – Protocol Officers Association (PDI-POA). Whenever possible, Nicole can be found volunteering both within industry and within her community.
Trainer
Trainer
Dr. Irvine Nugent possesses fifteen-plus years in senior leadership roles in organizations of various sizes, stages of growth and different sectors. He is experienced in challenging business environments and has worked extensively with executive and emerging leaders as an executive coach and consultant helping them become more self-aware, manage their emotions, read the emotions of others, and manage their relationships.
At the core of his work is the exploration of Emotional Intelligence. He believes that leadership development is a journey from the inside out. If our emotional intelligence is lacking, then any new business skill we attempt to implement will be adversely impacted. As such it is the key to having deeper connections, making better decisions, and increasing our influence.
Born in Northern Ireland, Irvine brings to his audiences a rich and varied experience. Growing up in a society torn apart by division and violence he has seen first-hand the damage done when communication breaks down and people fail to listen and understand. This has inspired him to help leaders build workplaces in which people thrive and realize their full potential.
Dr. Nugent is an internationally recognized trainer and top-rated keynote speaker. He has spent his career in the research of leadership, emotional intelligence, and executive presence. He is one of the few worldwide certified FACS coders, who are experts in reading facial emotions. Dr. Nugent earned his Ph.D. from Capella University with research focused on leadership in times of crisis. He is one of only 15 certified Paul Ekman Master Trainers in the world and one of only 20 certified facilitators of the cutting-edge e-Factor EQ Assessment.
Many of the most respected organizations, associations, and government agencies in the world have turned to him to help them expand their leaders Emotional Intelligence. From Lockheed Martin to Marriott, Kaiser Permanente to Bristol Myers Squibb, the FDA to US Federal Reserve, He has worked with extraordinary leaders and professionals, resulting in their Improved conflict resolution skills, enhanced decision-making capacity, increased resilience in the face of change, greater awareness of emotional triggers and improved presentation skills.
A gifted storyteller, his programs are infused with passion, dynamism and of course his natural Irish humor. Paramount for Irvine is the importance that each person leaves with practical tools based on the latest scientific research that they can implement immediately.
Dr. Nugent is a graduate of Georgetown University’s executive coaching program, and an ICF certified Professional Certified Coach (PCC). He is the author of the book, Leadership Lessons From The Pub.