Chief of Protocol
City of Tampa / Hillsborough County
Tampa Bay Trade & Protocol
Deborah Wilkinson serves as Chief of Protocol for the Mayor of the City of Tampa and the Hillsborough County Board of County Commissioners. As Executive Director of the Tampa Bay Trade and Protocol Council, she leads an initiative in close partnership with the Consular Corps and the regional business community to advance Tampa Bay as a premier international hub. The Council convenes the City of Tampa, Hillsborough County, the University of South Florida, the University of Tampa, Port Tampa Bay, Tampa International Airport, and Visit Tampa Bay.
As Founder and President of Wilkinson Global Connections, LLC, Ms. Wilkinson strengthens global diplomatic relationships, collaborates with American Chambers of Commerce, and supports regions and states in developing and executing international strategies, leading both inbound and outbound trade missions.
Prior to relocating to Florida, she served as Chief Development Officer for International Affairs for Broward County, establishing the County’s first International Desk by integrating protocol, international economic development, and state-level partnerships, while fostering regional collaboration with Miami and Palm Beach.
Appointed by President Bill Clinton as Deputy Trade Representative for the Governor of the State of Washington, Ms. Wilkinson advanced international trade initiatives and executed Memoranda of Understanding with countries around the world. She was a key architect of the “Building Bridges” Agreement between five U.S. West Coast states and the Russian Far East, developed in partnership with the U.S. Department of State. Ms. Wilkinson serves as Vice Chair of the USF World Advisory Board and on the Alfred University Judson Women’s Center Advisory Board. She previously chaired the Florida Economic Development Council for Fiscal Year 2010 to 2011. She holds a Master’s Certification in International Management from the Executive Program at the Thunderbird School of Global Management.