Ray Provencio is now CBP El Paso port director, following a swearing in ceremony Oct. 25, CBP said in a news release that day. Provencio was previously deputy director-field operations in El Paso.

Tatiana Clouthier, Mexico's economy secretary, announced her resignation at the Mexican president's daily news conference Oct. 6. She was on the verge of tears as she said it was time for her to retire. President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador said he had asked her to stay on, but she said she couldn't. He said he would not announce her successor until the next day, so the focus could be on her contributions.

Lois Wetzel, former associate attorney at Barnes Richardson, has joined CBP as a general attorney in the Office of the Associate Chief Counsel in Chicago, Wetzel told International Trade Today. According to her LinkedIn page, Wetzel previously worked at Barnes Richardson in 2019-2020, starting as a law clerk, then becoming an associate in May 2020. Before joining the firm, she worked as a legal intern with CBP. She graduated in 2019 from DePaul University College of Law.

The Business Roundtable hired Jennifer Thornton to be vice president-trade and international. She had been trade counsel to Republican members of the House Ways and Means Committee.

Margaret Cekuta, a former chief of staff to the U.S. trade representative general counsel, has been hired as senior director for trade and innovation policy at the National Foreign Trade Council. Her portfolio will include intellectual property, digital trade, environment and health, and she will lead on NFTC engagement in the Indo-Pacific.

Sharon Lindan Mayl, former FDA senior adviser for policy, joined DLA Piper as a partner in its Washington D.C.-based FDA Regulatory team, the firm announced. At the FDA for over 25 years, Mayl worked on a host of matters involving food safety, nutrition, dietary supplements, cannabis products and cosmetics. She also worked on regulatory, legislative and policy issues, including aiding the agency's Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition, Center for Veterinary Medicine and Office of Regulatory Affairs, the firm said. Mayl will parlay this experience into aiding DLA Piper's Food, Beverage and Consumer Goods sector, the firm said.

Micah Myers, former senior associate general counsel at the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative, joined Cozen O'Connor as a member of its Washington D.C. office, the firm announced. At USTR, Myers worked on various international trade negotiations, World Trade Organization disputes and proceedings as part of the USMCA labor enforcement team. Myers will advise clients on international trade issues including litigation, administrative proceedings and other matters, the firm said.

Diaz Trade Law has hired Coraly Schreiber, who most recently worked as an attorney-adviser in the CBP Office of Trade, as managing attorney, the firm said Aug. 15.

International Trade Administration Deputy Assistant Secretary Ian Saunders will be the U.S. nominee to become the next secretary general of the World Customs Organization. Saunders would have to win the support of a majority of countries at the WCO to become the secretary general. No American has led the organization in more than a dozen years. “Ian Saunders is a deeply respected member of the global customs community who represents the very best of America’s public service,” CBP Commissioner Chris Magnus said in a news release. “Ian’s customs and trade expertise, strategic thinking, and diplomatic acumen make him uniquely suited to lead the WCO in this time of rapid global change.”

Scott Taylor, former partner at Miller & Company P.C. for over 23 years, has joined Sandler Travis as the leader of its foreign-trade zones practice area, the firm announced. Joining the New York office, Taylor will work on FTZ, international trade and customs cases, the firm said. At Miller & Company, Taylor helped structure over 550 FTZ projects, "including general-purpose zones and expansions, special-purpose subzones, subzone expansions, alternative site framework applications, boundary modifications, and scope determinations." He also served as a member of the Kansas City, Missouri, City Council for eight years.