The Washington International Trade Association (WITA) named Kenneth Levinson full-time executive director, the organization said in an Oct. 14 statement (here). Levinson, WITA's interim executive director since November 2014. Levinson, is the founder and principal at KLC Strategies (here).

Visa hired former Acting U.S. Trade Representative Demetrios Marantis, previously with Square, as senior vice president, Global Government Relations, Visa said (here).

Ken Bargteil retired as vice president at Kuehne + Nagel as of Oct. 1. Bargteil, who will continue as chair of the National Customs Brokers & Forwarders Association of America’s Educational Institute Subcommittee and chairman emeritus of the group’s Customs Committee, worked 42 years in the brokerage industry, 36 of which at Kuehne + Nagel.

Arnold & Porter hired Claire Reade, previously assistant U.S. trade representative for China Affairs at the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative, as senior counsel, the firm said in a news release.

Marc Schoem will take over as executive director of the International Consumer Product Health & Safety Organization (ICPHSO) on Oct. 15, said the product safety group (here). Schoem is currently deputy director of the Consumer Product Safety Commission’s Office of Compliance and Field Operations.

Akin Gump added Daniel Feldman, previously a State Department official, to its firm as a partner in its international trade practice, the law firm said on Sept. 22 (here). Feldman previously worked as special representative for Afghanistan and Pakistan at the State Department. Feldman will focus on the Middle East and South Asia regions at Akin Gump, the firm said.

CT Strategies hired Kathleen Conway, previously CBP director-preclearance operations and World Customs Organization attaché, Noel Sanchez, formerly CBP Laredo assistant director-port security, and Joe Uribe, recently acting port director at CBP Laredo. The Command Consulting Group subsidiary, led by former CBP Assistant Commissioner Allen Gina, also added Charles Morton, most recently vice president and area security manager-North America at Panalpina.

Kelly Herman, most recently of counsel at Morgan Lewis and previously senior attorney advisor at CBP, joined Hewlett Packard as senior import compliance manager.

Mark Hirzel recently left DHL Global Forwarding due to a corporate restructuring. Hirzel, formerly DHL’s Customs Consultancy Manager, will stay on as president of the Los Angeles Customs Brokers and Freight Forwarders Association for the time being, and will remain active in the Pacific Coast Council of Customs Brokers and the Legislative Committee of the National Customs Brokers & Forwarders Association of America, he said. Hirzel is the second high-profile customs compliance employee to depart DHL Global Forwarding due to the restructuring in recent months. Cindy Allen, former DHL head of customs brokerage, left for the same reason in July (see 1507170018). DHL Global Forwarding did not immediately comment.

Sierra Club hired Ben Beachy, previously research director for Public Citizen's Global Trade Watch, as senior policy director in the climate and trade program, said Beachy (here).