The Senate Finance Committee approved the nomination of Scott Kieff as member of the U.S. International Trade Commission. Finance Committee Chairman Max Baucus, D-Mont., praised the committee’s unanimous approval of Kieff, a professor at The George Washington University Law School who previously worked at Patent Public Advisory Committee of the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office and the U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit.
Former U.S. Trade Representative Ron Kirk was elected to Texas Instruments' board of directors, the company said in a press release. Kirk now works at the law firm Gibson, Dunn.
Correction: President Barack Obama announced on July 12 his intention to nominate Rhonda Schmidtlein as a member of the U.S. International Trade Commission (ITC) (see 13071517) . Member refers to a commissioner, according to the ITC press office.
President Barack Obama announced on July 12 his intention to nominate Rhonda Schmidtlein as a member of the U.S. International Trade Commission (ITC), the Office of the Press Secretary said, along with four other key administration nominations. Schmidtlein currently works as an accounting regulation and oversight consultant at the World Bank. She previously held positions with the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board, USTR, George Washington University and U.S. District Court for the Western District of Missouri. The ITC considers itself an “independent, quasijudicial Federal agency with broad investigative responsibilities on matters of trade.” The commission’s primary target areas of investigation include dumping and subsidy impact of domestic industry, global safeguards and intellectual property.
Former City of Oakland Planning Commissioner Michael Colbruno was sworn in as Port of Oakland commissioner on July 11. Colbruno was nominated by Oakland Mayor Jean Quan and unanimously approved by the city council on May 7, a press release said.
Sidney Aki was named the new Port Director for California's San Ysidro and Otay Mesa passenger ports of entry, CBP said. Aki, a career federal law enforcement officer, began his new role in San Diego on June 30.
Steptoe & Johnson hired Robert Rogers, previously an administrative law judge with the International Trade Commission, as senior counsel in the law firm's intellectual property department.
UTi Worldwide named Ditlev Blicher president-Asia Pacific, effective July 8. Blicher was most recently executive vice president-Group Operations for CEVA Logistics.
UPS named Rodney Adkins, IBM senior vice president-corporate strategy, to its board.
Trace Fukuhara will take over responsibilities as Assistant Port Director for Tactical Operations at the Area Port of Seattle, CBP's Seattle Field Office said in a trade information notice.