{"id":374532,"date":"2026-06-25T15:29:12","date_gmt":"2026-06-25T15:29:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/374532\/"},"modified":"2026-06-25T15:29:12","modified_gmt":"2026-06-25T15:29:12","slug":"these-sacramento-residents-represent-foreign-governments-for-free","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/374532\/","title":{"rendered":"These Sacramento Residents Represent Foreign Governments \u2014 for Free"},"content":{"rendered":"

\n A trial lawyer, a former diplomat, a retired athlete, a hotel
\n manager and a crepe shop owner: All five have little in common
\n except for one thing \u2014 they are volunteer representatives working
\n for foreign governments in the Sacramento area. Bulgaria,
\n Denmark, New Zealand, Zambia and France each have an honorary
\n consul in the Capital Region. But what exactly do they do? And
\n why, of all places, are they here?\u00a0\n<\/p>\n

\n The short answer is that when a foreign government wants to
\n station a diplomat in an area, but the demand is too low and the
\n cost is too high, they\u2019ll sometimes appoint a volunteer called an
\n honorary consul. Attorneys or entrepreneurs with business ties to
\n the country are typically picked for this part-time position.
\n Their limited responsibilities vary from person to person. The
\n vast majority of honorary consuls in California live in Los
\n Angeles or San Francisco.\u00a0\n<\/p>\n

\n Even though France has a professional diplomat, called a consul
\n general, stationed nearby in the Bay Area, it also has Catherine
\n Bonnefoy as an honorary consul in Sacramento. \u201cIt\u2019s pretty
\n unusual,\u201d she says.\u00a0\n<\/p>\n

Related:\u00a0Why
\n Did This Small European Nation Open a Consulate in
\n Sacramento?<\/a><\/p>\n

\n The framework for honorary consuls was established following the
\n signing of the Vienna Convention on Consular Relations in 1963,
\n and soon after, France was the first to appoint one to
\n Sacramento. The reason is demand. Bonnefoy provides services to
\n 1,600 French citizens living across Northern California and to
\n visiting tourists. \u201cIt\u2019s a lot of French constituents, a lot of
\n territory, and it\u2019s also the capital,\u201d she says.\u00a0\n<\/p>\n

\n Bonnefoy was born in France and became a dual U.S. citizen in
\n 2002. She has a \u201ccareer job, a fun job and a volunteer job.\u201d She
\n manages the American subsidiary of a French company, The Cedar
\n Buying Group, Inc., and owns Catherine\u2019s Cr\u00eaperie, which recently
\n moved into a storefront in Folsom. She became an honorary consul
\n in 2022 after her predecessor, Guy Michelier, reached the
\n mandatory retirement age and recommended her as a possible
\n replacement. It was an opportunity Bonnefoy couldn\u2019t turn down.\n<\/p>\n

\n \u201cAnyone who\u2019s an honorary consul is feeling very honored to have
\n that role. It\u2019s not given out to just anyone,\u201d Bonnefoy says. \u201cSo
\n we take it very seriously.\u201d\n<\/p>\n

\n On Tuesdays, Bonnefoy hosts office hours at Alliance Fran\u00e7aise de
\n Sacramento, a French language school downtown at the CLARA, which
\n features a large metal Eiffel Tower outside the building. French
\n citizens can stop by to pick up passports, ID cards and other
\n documents. Bonnefoy also verifies proof of life for retirement
\n benefits and can approve the shipment of human remains back to
\n France. Her other main responsibilities include representing the
\n country at events like the local French film festival and
\n communicating with citizens in crises, such as natural disasters
\n or imprisonment.\n<\/p>\n

A Danish knight in the capital<\/p>\n

\n \"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

\n Dorthe Wright is the honorary consul of Denmark in Sacramento.
\n (Courtesy photo)\n<\/p>\n

Dorthe Wright, honorary consul of Denmark
\n in Sacramento, has an office with gold-plated signage and a lobby
\n featuring a Danish flag, the country\u2019s coat of arms and portraits
\n of the royal family. Here, Wright responds to calls and emails
\n from Danish citizens, sometimes referring them to her employed
\n attorneys for legal advice. For a time, Denmark had no consul
\n general on the West Coast, so the embassy granted her the power
\n to issue emergency passports to allow visiting Danes passage back
\n home. \u201cIt\u2019s not typical at all. It was an exception,\u201d Wright
\n says.\n<\/p>\n

\n Wright was born in Denmark and gained dual U.S. citizenship in
\n 2016. For two decades, she worked around the globe for the Danish
\n Foreign Service and later became an assistant to attorney Finn
\n Martensen. He co-founded the Sacramento law firm Martensen Wright
\n PC, which helps Scandinavian businesses operate in the United
\n States, with her husband, Edward Wright.\u00a0\n<\/p>\n

\n Martensen was honorary consul for Denmark in San Francisco. When
\n he moved back to Denmark, he recommended Wright as a possible
\n replacement for the consulship. She agreed because \u201cI had always
\n enjoyed working in the Foreign Service. I like helping people.\u201d
\n Wright was appointed in 2009 and three years later moved her
\n official headquarters from the firm\u2019s satellite office in the Bay
\n Area to its main office in Sacramento, thus changing the
\n position\u2019s official designation.\n<\/p>\n

\n \"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

\n About 140,000 Danish people live in California. (Shutterstock
\n photo)\n<\/p>\n<\/p>\n

\n Things have changed since 2018, when Denmark officially stationed
\n a consul general in Palo Alto. Wright used to have two workers
\n assisting with consul duties, but now it\u2019s just her due to the
\n drop in demand. Periodically, she has hosted a pop-up voting
\n center at her office in Sacramento. In the last election, only
\n one person stopped by, compared to 60 at the Palo Alto
\n consulate.\u00a0\n<\/p>\n

\n Wright said she was kept on due to her experience. She holds a
\n Danish knighthood and is one of the few American honorary consuls
\n to Denmark fluent in the language, making her a go-to for help
\n with Danish citizenship applications. She isn\u2019t sure if she\u2019ll be
\n replaced when she retires, which isn\u2019t new for Sacramento. Both
\n Italy and Austria previously had honorary consuls in the city for
\n decades before the volunteers retired.\u00a0\n<\/p>\n

\n New Zealand also has an honorary consul in Sacramento: Starr
\n Walton Hurley, a former Olympic alpine skier and torchbearer
\n whose husband, Dr. Edward J. Hurley, previously held the position
\n for a decade until he died in 2007. His obituary in the
\n Sacramento Bee described him as a prominent faculty member at UC
\n Davis who became honorary consul after befriending government
\n officials in New Zealand during his frequent fly fishing trips to
\n the country. Walton Hurley did not respond to interview requests,
\n and the New Zealand Ministry of Foreign Affairs & Trade declined
\n to comment for this article.\n<\/p>\n

Bringing investment to Africa<\/p>\n

\n \"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

\n Rajen Ranchhod is the honorary consul to Zambia in Sacramento.
\n (Courtesy photo)\n<\/p>\n

Zambia is the newest country to join the
\n Sacramento Consular Corps. The central African nation appointed
\n Sacramento-based entrepreneur and former polo player Rajen
\n Ranchhod as honorary consul in late 2025, succeeding Robert
\n Sichinga Jr. of Los Angeles. Ranchhod said the position covers
\n all of California, where over 400 Zambian citizens live. \u201cIt\u2019s
\n very important that one interacts with them and looks after their
\n needs,\u201d he says.\n<\/p>\n

\n The Zambian government asked Ranchhod to apply for the position
\n after his predecessor moved out of state. He agreed because he
\n felt qualified for the job, being well known among the business
\n community for his investments in the country. For example, he
\n owns a mine in West Lunga and is involved in a media
\n company.\u00a0\n<\/p>\n

\n Ranchhod was born and raised in Zambia. His grandfather
\n immigrated there from India in 1926 and started Lusaka Steam
\n Laundry, his town\u2019s first industrial laundromat and commercial
\n dry cleaner. Ranchhod moved to the U.S. 40 years ago and gained
\n citizenship in 2012. His family founded American Hospitality
\n Services, a company in Sacramento that owns and operates hotel
\n franchises. His brother Rohit Ranchhod is president and CEO,
\n while he serves as vice president of maintenance and
\n operations.\u00a0\n<\/p>\n

\n \"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

\n Zambia is known for stunning vistas like the Victoria Falls on
\n the border with Zimbabwe. (Shutterstock photo)\n<\/p>\n<\/p>\n

\n As honorary consul, Ranchhod said his main responsibilities are
\n to promote the country and attract investors. He recently began
\n hosting an annual Zambian Independence Day party at one of his
\n hotels. Last year, he participated in the first-ever Zambia
\n Investment & Innovation Roadshow, a series of events aimed at
\n creating economic partnerships between citizens of the two
\n countries. He plans to be part of a smaller roadshow launching
\n sometime in the near future.\u00a0\n<\/p>\n

\n \u201cA lot of people don\u2019t know about Zambia, right? It\u2019s my job to
\n enlighten them, find investments, take them to Zambia, and see
\n what they can do,\u201d Ranchhod says.\n<\/p>\n

For the old country<\/p>\n

\n \"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

\n Ognian Gavrilov is the honorary consul for Bulgaria in
\n Sacramento. (Courtesy photo)\n<\/p>\n

In 2023, Ognian Gavrilov was appointed
\n honorary consul for Bulgaria. He was born in Bulgaria, became a
\n dual U.S. citizen in 2012, and is the managing partner of
\n Gavrilov & Brooks, a law firm in Sacramento. On paper, his
\n consulship is based in Northern California, but he performs
\n duties throughout the state in coordination with the consul
\n general in Los Angeles.\n<\/p>\n

\n Gavrilov said his selection was a bit unusual, explaining that
\n the Bulgarian government typically appoints non-nationals to
\n expand its influence. But he is a prominent lawyer who represents
\n politicians and large companies. Two years ago, the Sacramento
\n County Bar Association named him \u201cAttorney of the Year.\u201d\n<\/p>\n

\n Gavrilov is also well known in the local Bulgarian community,
\n serving as president of the Bulgarian Foundation for Art, Culture
\n and Education. He said this made him an attractive choice, even
\n though there were more candidates in Silicon Valley, calling the
\n appointment of someone in Sacramento \u201chappenstance.\u201d\n<\/p>\n

\n \"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

\n There are over 13,000 Bulgarians living in California.
\n (Shutterstock photo)\n<\/p>\n<\/p>\n

\n Bulgarian officials asked Gavrilov to apply, and he replaced
\n global trade consultant Brooks Ohlson of Sacramento and tech
\n executive Bogomil Balkansky of San Francisco. For whatever
\n reason, Balkansky and Ohlson were relieved of duty and their
\n positions combined under Gavrilov.\n<\/p>\n

\n Since his appointment, Gavrilov has represented Bulgaria at
\n various diplomatic events, such as the annual Consular Corps
\n Reception hosted by the California Chamber of Commerce. Two years
\n ago, he accompanied the state treasurer and the county district
\n attorney to meet the Bulgarian prime minister during the first
\n visit to Los Angeles. And when consul general Boyko Hristov
\n visited Sacramento, Gavrilov introduced him to several local
\n officials.\u00a0\n<\/p>\n

\n \u201cIt\u2019s a great honor, because you\u2019re the representative of a whole
\n nation,\u201d Gavrilov says. While the work is unpaid, it\u2019s enjoyable
\n \u2014 plus, he gets an official ID card from the U.S. State
\n Department. \u201cI get prestige, and I have a diplomatic card, but
\n generally speaking, it\u2019s to help the old country, in my
\n case.\u201d\u00a0\n<\/p>\n

\n \u2013\n<\/p>\n

\n Never miss a story: Get Comstock\u2019s weekly newsletter<\/a> delivered to your
\n inbox.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"A trial lawyer, a former diplomat, a retired athlete, a hotel manager and a crepe shop owner: All…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":374533,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[32],"tags":[121,123,122],"class_list":["post-374532","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-sacramento","tag-sacramento","tag-sacramento-headlines","tag-sacramento-news"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/374532","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=374532"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/374532\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/374533"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=374532"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=374532"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=374532"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}