Speakers

Adrienne Braumiller

Founder

Braumiller Law Group, PLLC

Adrienne Braumiller is the founder of Braumiller Law Group PLLC and an innovative force in the
international trade law arena. With more than 30 years of experience, she is widely recognized as a leading authority in Customs, import, export, foreign-trade zones, free trade agreements and ITAR compliance.

Adrienne has been involved in every aspect of import and export compliance, from developing compliance programs toto creating complex valuation methodologies, conducting audits and assessments, representing clients who are under investigation, preparing and submitting voluntary
disclosures, preparing and filing classification requests and licenses, analyzing whether specific transactions should be pursued, providing tailored training on specific import/export topics, addressing penalty assessments, and serving as an expert witness in a number of trade cases. She is well-versed in numerous industries, from apparel and textiles to consumer goods, electronics, industrial goods, and mining, among others.
Adrienne is well-known in the customs and trade industry and has worked collaboratively and effectively
to work towards the best possible outcome, whether it be through Customs and Border Protection, the
Center of Excellence and Expertise, or any other governmental agency involved in trade.

George R. Tuttle, III

Law Offices of George R. Tuttle, A.P.C.

George R. Tuttle, III is an attorney with the San Francisco law firm of George R. Tuttle. 

The firms practice centers on international trade regulation and customs law. The firm has focused on international trade matters since its inception in 1933. Our practice is global and includes matters originating both in and outside the United States.

His practice, for the past 38 plus years, with emphasis is on Customs, international trade regulation, and export compliance matters for importers, exporters, brokers and forwarders.  He has a wide range of experience in customs matters, including: customs duties, tariff classification, value, marking, and penalty cases involving such diverse products as electronics, textiles, and food products.  He also works with companies on “other agency” compliance issues, such as TSCA, FDA and FCC, related to imported products.   He assists importers, brokers, and exporters develop and implement trade compliance programs, participates in Customs’ Importer Self Assessment (ISA) program, C-TPAT, and prepares for Focused Assessments and audits by CBP and other governmental agencies. 

Kristin Simonson

Senior Trade Auditor

Deleon Trade, LLC

Kristin Simonson is a Senior Trade Auditor with Deleon Trade LLC.  Kristin assists clients with identifying and mitigating import risk exposure and navigating the complexities of Customs audits.  She uses her extensive former Customs audit experience to assist clients with the design and implementation of import compliance programs that are strong enough to pass a focused assessment or any audit type.  She designs and executes statistical samples to quantify areas of non-compliance utilizing the same EZ-Quant Statistical Sampling Software used by U.S. Customs. She has prepared value reconciliation filings covering multiple types of value adjustments, prior disclosure documentation, and has conducted complex reviews relating to the proper valuation of imported merchandise.  Kristin also assists clients in responding the U.S. Customs inquiries and audits and provides training on U.S. Customs regulations and internal control implementation.

John Metrich

Senior Trade Auditor

Deleon Trade, LLC
John Metrich is Senior Trade Auditor.  John assists clients with U.S. Customs compliance programs and with responses to Customs inquiries and audits.  John works with clients to conduct internal audits of their U.S. Customs compliance programs to identify risks and internal control deficiencies and assists clients with developing and strengthening of internal control procedures to mitigate compliance risks.  He has significant experience in designing statistical samples to quantify the extent of issues utilizing EZ-Quant Statistical Sampling software used by U.S. Customs.  He has prepared prior disclosure documentation, cost submissions and compute value reconciliations, and conducted comprehensive valuation and special trade program reviews to respond to U.S. Customs inquiries and audits.  John also provides training to clients on valuation, special trade program compliance, and internal control implementation.

Joseph (“Jay”) Acaya

Partner

Roberts & Kehagiaras LLP

Joseph (“Jay”) Acaya is a partner at Roberts & Kehagiaras LLP in Long Beach, California, with more than twenty years of experience in international trade. His practice focuses on customs law, including import/export compliance, preparing clients for Customs audits, drafting and implementation of Customs compliance systems, filing of prior disclosures, and fighting Customs decisions administratively and before the Court of International Trade. He also defends clients in penalty cases, liquidated damages cases, and seizures (both goods and currency). For export related issues, Jay represents clients in matters handled by a host of government agencies, including the Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS), Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC), the Directorate of Defense Trade Controls (DDTC), and the Foreign Trade Division of the U.S. Census Bureau. Representative matters include drafting and implementation of export control systems, analyses of deemed exports, licensing, obtaining agency opinions (i.e., Classification (CCATS), Commodity Jurisdiction (CJ) and General Correspondence (GC) requests), and penalty mitigation. Jay also assists in drafting and implementing corporate compliance systems covering supply chain security, anti-corruption, anti-money laundering, and whistleblower procedures.

Kim Campbell

President

mk marin

Kim Campbell is the President of “mkmarin trade services inc.” a customs brokerage, trade consulting and software firm she founded in 2007. She is a graduate of the University of Toronto and brings to her position 30 years of experience from working in executive, managerial and technical leadership positions in both government and the private sector. She is a graduate of the Institute of Corporate Director and U of T Rotman DEP program for corporate directors including the ICD.D designation.

She holds the CCS (Certified Customs Specialist) in both Canada and the United States and is also a CTCS (Certified Trade Compliance Specialist). She was the Chair of the Canadian Society of Customs Brokers and has served on the Board of Directors of the International Federation of Customs Brokers.  She is the current Chair of the Canadian Association of Importers and Exporters, I.E. Canada. 

Oliver Krischik

Principal

GKG Law

Oliver Krischik is a trade law attorney who focuses on representing businesses, individuals, and non-profit organizations with issues surrounding economic sanctions, export controls, customs, cybersecurity, data privacy, and financial regulations.

Oliver counsels his clients on trade compliance, licensing, and enforcement matters related to the U.S. Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC), the U.S. Dept. of the Treasury’s Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN), the U.S. Dept. of Commerce’s Bureau of Industry & Security (BIS), the U.S. Dept. of Commerce’s Office of Antiboycott Compliance (OAC), and the U.S. Dept. of State’s Directorate of Defense Trade Controls (DDTC). In addition, Oliver assists individuals in navigating U.S. economic sanctions applicable to personal transactions such as inheritances, immigration, educational opportunities, and family gifts.

Kim Calicott

Mallory Alexander International Logistics, LLC

Kim Calicott began her career in the export department at Mallory Alexander International Logistics, LLC in 2003, and she is currently the Export Compliance Manager.  Her passion for export compliance and the logistics industry grew as she gained knowledge and experience throughout her years with Mallory.

Kim is actively involved in the NCBFAA. She joined the Export Compliance Subcommittee and obtained her CES in 2016, and she currently serves as the Export Compliance Subcommittee Chair.    

Kim lives in Fort Worth, TX and enjoys spending time with her husband and two kids.    

Gerry Horner

U.S. Census Bureau

Gerry Horner has been employed with the U.S. Department of Commerce for over 32 years.  He rejoined the Census Bureau in the Trade Regulations Branch in December 2018, where he is responsible for assisting in the formulation of the Foreign Trade Regulations (FTR); ensuring that the FTR are consistent with Partnership Federal Agencies Regulations and Statutes; contributing to the development of the Electronic Export Manifest; and managing the Voluntary Self Disclosure program.

Prior to rejoining Census, Mr. Horner spent seven months in private industry, working as the Director of Training and Onboarding for OCR services, a trade-compliance software provider.

Elizabeth Merritt

Senior Trade Advisor
A.N. Deringer

Elizabeth Merritt is a Senior Trade Advisor at A.N. Deringer, assisting importers with a variety of customs and international trade topics including classification, country of origin, free trade agreements, trade remedies and AD/CVD. 

Before joining Deringer, Elizabeth served as Managing Director of Cargo at Airlines for America. While there, she co-chaired subcommittees of the Customs Commercial Operations Advisory Committee (COAC) and TSA’s Aviation Security Advisory Committee, and served as vice-chair of the International Air Transport Association’s Cargo Customs Working Group. Prior to that, she managed customs and immigration compliance at Delta Air Lines and was a policy advisor at the American Chamber of Commerce in Russia. She is a licensed customs broker and holds Bachelor’s and Juris Doctor degrees from the University of Texas at Austin.

Lawrence W. Hanson

The Law Office of Lawrence W. Hanson, P.C.

Since 1989, Mr. Hanson has assisted clients in the handling of penalty and liquidated damage claims, the detention, seizure and forfeiture of merchandise and other audits, civil and criminal investigations and similar actions taken by Customs and other governmental agencies that regulate imports and exports. Mr. Hanson offers his experience in the development of international trade related compliance programs designed to prevent unwanted entanglements with the governmental agencies that regulate international trade.

Mr. Hanson is licensed to practice trade law in the States of Illinois and Texas. He is admitted to practice in the Southern District of Texas, the Northern District of Illinois, the Court of International Trade in New York, the Fifth and Seventh Circuit Courts of Appeal as well as before the Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit. He has practiced and conducted administrative hearings before various federal agencies that regulate international trade.

Mr. Hanson currently holds leadership positions with a number of Customs and Trade related entities:



• Vice Chair ABA Customs Committee

• Co-Chair Court of International Trade Bar Association Customs Committee

• Co-Chair ABA International Ethics Committee • U.S. Counsel to the International Compliance Professionals Association (ICPA)

Jodie Maher

Account Executive

Avalon Risk Management

Jodie Maher is an Account Executive in Avalon Risk Management’s Chicago office, which serves the Midwest. Avalon opened its doors in January 1998, and Jodie was part of the team that started this great company. She left Avalon for a period to be a stay-at-home mom but has been back for 10 years. Jodie enjoys all aspects of the sales process and most importantly, building strong relationships. Over the years, she has developed a true passion to, not only continue to educate herself, but to pass along her knowledge to her clients and enable them to make the most informed decision for their company’s insurance needs.

Ana Hinojosa

CEO

ABH Global Trade Consulting LLC

Recently retired from DHS- Customs and Border Protection (CBP).

Ana Hinojosa is originally from South Texas and has had an illustrious career in the U.S. federal government and with the World Customs Organization (WCO) in Brussels Belgium.

She is a seasoned Customs expert and Senior Executive, having served in many leadership positions in Customs for over 30 years.  Most recently, she was responsible for directing CBP’s trade threat assessment units, special investigations and enforcement programs focused on detecting, deterring and disrupting illicit trade, with a special emphasis on forced labor violations, evasion of special tariff cases and modernizing the use of civil penalties to ensure appropriate consequence delivery for non-compliance.  She successfully collaborated with Congressional oversight committees to justify additional appropriations to support the unprecedented success in enforcement related to the importations of goods produced with forced labor.  

Kelli Thompson

CEO

Integrity International Trade Consulting, LLC

Ms. Thompson is a proven expert in the international trade arena, with over 15 years of experience.  She worked for United States Customs and Border Protection (“CBP”) from 2007-2014, including as a  Supervisory Import Specialist and a Course Developer and Instructor at the Federal Law Enforcement Training Center (“FLETC”) in Charleston, South Carolina, where she trained all newly hired Import Specialists on classification, valuation, rules of origin, free trade agreements, anti-dumping and countervailing duty and other trade topics relevant for regulating the importation of merchandise into the United States.

Olga Torres

Founder & Managing Member

Torres Trade Law, PLLC

Olga Torres is the Founder and Managing Member of Torres Trade Law, PLLC an International Trade and National Security Law Firm. Ms. Torres handles notable trade and national security matters for numerous companies worldwide and specializes in the areas of U.S. customs, exports, economic sanctions, anti-corruption compliance, and industrial security matters.

Alan Dewar

Executive Vice President of Client Services & Regulatory Affairs

GHY International

Alan joined the company in 1982, he has progressively and successfully worked his way from operations to his current role. He works closely with the executive, leadership, and management teams and manages the service function of the One Border One Broker™ initiative. Through this challenging role, Alan focuses on meeting the changing demands of the industry while growing the business and meeting the needs of both clients and regulatory bodies.
Alan is a certified Trade Compliance Specialist and holds a Professional Customs Broker title. He received his Certificate of Management (Honours) and P. Mgr. designations through the University of Manitoba and is an accomplished leader, with exceptional knowledge of the Customs industry and GHY ’s clients. Alan has held the National Director position for the Canadian Society of Customs Brokers (CSCB) since 2012, where he served in various roles including the Executive Committee, First Vice Chair, and Secretary Treasurer. In 2021, Al was elected and currently serves as Chairman of the Board of CSCB.

Melissa Irmen

Senior Vice President

ISCM, Inc.

Melissa Irmen, is Senior Vice President at ISCM, Inc., a Washington, DC based consulting firm with unmatched experience in Foreign-Trade Zone (FTZ) applications, setup, technology, and regulatory agency insight. Her specialties include Foreign-Trade Zone setup and administration, compliance technology implementation, audit preparation, and training in the disciplines required for trade compliance success. Melissa is an Accredited Zone Specialist and serves as Chairwoman of the Board of Directors for the NAFTZ. Melissa is an active participant in various international trade initiatives and organizations and speaks regularly on global trade topics. She provides technology and trade expertise to many CBP working groups, including, most recently, one focused on ACE 2.0.

Tom Cook

CEO & Managing Director

Blue Tiger International

Tom was former CEO of American River International in New York and Apex Global Logistics Supply Chain Operation in Los Angeles.   Tom has over 30 years’ experience in assisting companies all over the world manage their import and export operations. 

He is a member of the NY District Export Council, sits on the board of numerous corporations and is considered a leader in the business verticals he works in.

He has now authored over 19 books on Global Trade and is in the middle of an eight book series, titled “The Global Warrior; Advancing on the Necessary Skill Sets to Compete Effectively in Global Trade”.

Tom is also the Director of the National Institute of world trade (niwt.org) a 30-year-old educational and training organization.

Matthew Zehner
Vice President, Surety Information and Analysis
Roanoke Insurance Group Inc.

Matt Zehner is Vice President of Surety Information and Analysis at Roanoke Insurance Group Inc. He represents Roanoke in matters before U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP), the Federal Maritime Commission (FMC), and the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) – especially for those issues that involve regulatory and technology matters. His responsibilities also require external and internal communications regarding important statutory, regulatory, and operational changes of CBP, the FMC, the FMCSA, and key judicial actions. Mr. Zehner is a member the Trade Support Network, is active with several import/logistics-focused trade associations and is the President of the International Trade Surety Association (ITSA).  This year, Treasury Secretary Yellen and Homeland Security Secretary Mayorkas nominated Mr. Zehner to serve on the 16^th term of the Commercial Customs Operations Advisory Committee (COAC).

Jim Farrell
Managing Principal
EPIC Insurance Group

Jim Farrell is a Managing Principal within EPIC’s Transportation and Logistics Practice.  He is primarily responsible for international business development and leads a growing team of producers across the U.S.  Jim is a licensed insurance broker with over 15 years’ experience specializing in Cargo Insurance, International and Domestic Transportation Liability Insurance, U.S. Customs and Transportation Bonds, Truck Insurance and other related lines. 

Jim was a 2015 recipient of Business Insurance’s 40 Under 40 Broker Award.  This award honors the top 40 insurance brokers under the age of 40 across the United States.  Jim has a B.A. from the Eli Broad College of Business at Michigan State University. 

Zuleika Medina, CCS

Marketing Content Manager

Avalon Risk Management

Zuleika Medina, CCS (Certified Customs Specialist), is the Marketing Content Manager for Avalon Risk Management. She started her career in the insurance industry right after high school and has worked at insurance companies and an insurance coverage law firm prior to joining Avalon. Zuleika started with Avalon 17 years ago handling claims and subrogation. Her extensive claims experience has been valuable in assisting brokers and importers by investigating and mitigating claims. In her new role as the Marketing Content Manager, she stays current with industry trends and challenges, and works diligently to ensure this information is shared via newsletters and social media outlets.

Frank Desiderio

Founding Member

GDLSK

Frank Desiderio is a founding member of Grunfeld, Desiderio, Lebowitz, Silverman & Klestadt LLP. His clients include importers, retailers, foreign manufacturers, buying agents, trading companies, trade associations, customs brokers and foreign governments. He and members of his firm act as Customs counsel to many of the largest and most prestigious companies involved in the manufacture and worldwide distribution of luxury goods, apparel, footwear, electronics, food products, pharmaceuticals, etc. Mr. Desiderio assists clients in structuring their import transactions in a fashion which minimizes Customs duties, ensures regulatory compliance and eliminates penalty exposure.

Suzanne M. Richer

Founder & Director

Global Trade Academy

Suzanne M. Richer is the Founder and Director of the Global Trade Academy, now part of E2open. In this role, she leads the business development and leading-edge strategy for global trade compliance and training offerings of the company. She is a licensed customs broker, Certified Classification Specialist (CCLS ™), and is PCQI certified.

Shannon Fura

Founding Partner

Page & Fura, P.C.

Shannon Fura is a founding partner in the international trade law firm of Page•Fura, P.C. With a background in import/export law, intellectual property and international affairs, Ms. Fura offers clients the diverse background and skillset necessary to exercise compliance and ensure supply chain security in today’s global market.

Jeremy Page

Founding Partner

Page & Fura, P.C.

Jeremy Page is a founding partner in the international trade law firm of Page•Fura, P.C. With extensive experience in import, export, taxation and general accounting, he provides counseling, strategic planning and advocacy to companies of all sizes engaged in conducting global business.