San Francisco
Charlotte Mailliard Shultz has long been devoted to San Francisco, bringing outstanding stewardship, leadership and a lifelong commitment to public service. Her philanthropic and humanitarian contributions to San Francisco are legion and significant.
Born in Borger, Texas, Shultz received a Bachelor’s degree in fashion design, marketing and merchandising from the University of Arkansas-Fayetteville. She served as Chief of Protocol in the San Francisco Mayor’s Office of Protocol for seven consecutive administrations, was reappointed to the post by Mayor Willie Brown in 1995, and continues to hold the position to this day.
As Chief of Protocol for the City of San Francisco, Shultz has been called the "city's premier party-giver" by the San Francisco Chronicle. She brought back the city's Black and White Ball, organized the 50th anniversary celebration of the Golden Gate Bridge (which included the Golden Gate Bridge Walk in which one million pedestrians walked across the bridge), and has welcomed members of the British royal family and Pope John Paul II during their visits to the city. In 2004, Governor Schwarzenegger appointed her as Chief of Protocol for the State of California, a capacity in which she served until 2010.
In unparalleled commitment to service, Shultz serves as the President of the San Francisco War Memorial Board of Trustees and on the boards of the San Francisco Opera, the San Francisco Symphony, San Francisco Ballet, San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, the Commonwealth Club of California and the World Affairs Council of Northern California.
Shultz was chair of the building committee of the new San Francisco Public Library and co-chair of the Committee to Restore the San Francisco Opera House and San Francisco City Hall. Her contributions to the City of San Francisco and her tireless efforts to elevate the profile of the city have earned her the honor of having the staircase in San Francisco City Hall named the “Charlotte Mailliard Shultz Staircase”, in recognition of her deep commitment and contributions to the City of San Francisco.
Shultz’s outstanding service and significant contributions have been recognized through numerous awards, including the State of California Woman of the Year Award in 1996 and 2000, the Eleanor Roosevelt Humanitarian Award for Lifetime Achievement from the United Nations Association of San Francisco, the Commonwealth Club's Distinguished Citizen Award, the San Francisco Chamber of Commerce Outstanding Citizen Award and the Woodrow Wilson Award.
In 2007, Queen Elizabeth II bestowed on Shultz the title of Commander of the Royal Victorian Order for her long record of service in assisting royal visitors.
In recognition of her tireless service to the community, and to the City of San Francisco, the Board of Trustees of the California State University and San Francisco State University are proud to confer upon Charlotte Mailliard Shultz the honorary degree of Doctor of Fine Arts.