*Determine, assign, and set departmental and organizational compliance goals and metrics, and ensure international trade compliance with ongoing support and training of Best Practices, policy standards, and continuous improvements*Minimize costs with proficiency in HTS classification, Title 19 CFR, Explanatory Notes, WTO rules of origin, GRI, Special Tariff treaty programs (FTAs), valuation, duty recovery and minimization, tariff and FP&F mitigation, binding ruling preparation, and CBP and… Show more *Determine, assign, and set departmental and organizational compliance goals and metrics, and ensure international trade compliance with ongoing support and training of Best Practices, policy standards, and continuous improvements*Minimize costs with proficiency in HTS classification, Title 19 CFR, Explanatory Notes, WTO rules of origin, GRI, Special Tariff treaty programs (FTAs), valuation, duty recovery and minimization, tariff and FP&F mitigation, binding ruling preparation, and CBP and PGA documentation and entry filing requirements*Apply import/export regulatory expertise to strategic planning and sourcing initiatives and risk management efforts with Executive Management, Product Development, Purchasing, Sourcing, Finance & Sales teams to ensure thorough cost-benefit analyses and accuracy in forecastingProfessional respected liaison between USCBP and agency officials and executive management, other leading industry experts, and even customers ACHIEVEMENTS & SUCCESSES*Reduced overall landed costs by 14% over four distinct channels of business proposing design changes or alternative product structure, components, or raw materials to eliminate the cost prohibitive and/or heavily regulated elements and mitigate Section 301 tariffs*Recognized additional cost savings through strategic sourcing methods and optimizing FTAs, avoiding country-specific restricted commodities, maximizing benefits of the rules of origin, tariff shift, and substantial transformation *Provided essential expertise though mergers and acquisitions to conduct thorough risk assessments and implement necessary and unified procedures in accordance with Minimum Security Criteria at all domestic facilities and two supplier factories in India resulting in foreign validations and recognition by CBP’s SCSS *Achieved a perfect 100% on C-TPAT’s triannual SCSS Validation and Re-Validation on-site audit and on-site foreign supplier audit with zero findings and zero recommendations Show less

*Logistics Manager – manage Shipping/Receiving Departments keeping Aerospace Quality assurance, specs, and traceability at the forefront of all operations--Customer Service/Logistics: research customer requirements for marking, packaging, and shipping; coordinate and track all inbound/outbound freight; coordinate recovery/delivery of freight off-site (OSP); manage customer delivery commit dates using diverse transport companies and various levels of service --General management:… Show more *Logistics Manager – manage Shipping/Receiving Departments keeping Aerospace Quality assurance, specs, and traceability at the forefront of all operations--Customer Service/Logistics: research customer requirements for marking, packaging, and shipping; coordinate and track all inbound/outbound freight; coordinate recovery/delivery of freight off-site (OSP); manage customer delivery commit dates using diverse transport companies and various levels of service --General management: project, maintain and report budget numbers, then staff, purchase, and operate within guidelines; manage inventory of Raw Materials and Finished Goods; write SOP and WI for QMS; conduct staff briefings; plan/coordinate with production control to meet financial goals maintain area 5-S; apply 8-D problem solving; manage TOC inventories/production flow; create, present, and implement FMEA and RC/CAR --Training: provide General Export Awareness training to all new hires; create PowerPoint presentations to facilitate training efforts; conduct staff training of all aspects of the area process, people, and paperwork flows including safety measures; rolled out new ERP system, created ERP SuperUser manual, and trained associates--Trade Compliance Officer: maintain knowledge of Federal Regulations for imports/exports and general trade compliance (ITAR, EAR, and OFAC); ensure compliance with CBP recordkeeping requirements; identify licensable shipments and conduct denied party screenings; obtain licenses; properly classify all production items and conduct all export control requirements--Safety Committee secretary / auditor – post monthly safety committee meeting minutes; conduct floor audits in various areas of the facility and note findings; implementation and enforcement of corrective actions; maintain HAZMAT and MSDS records; coordinate efforts with local and emergency response team and personnel to plan and conduct fire safety and evacuation and confined space rescue training Show less

During this period, I opened, owned, and operated a small retail business, however, a secondary income was still required. For this reason, I marketed my finance skills and was contracted by a few companies for general office management, to include all A/R, A/P, cash deposits, scheduling, payroll, withholdings, state and local sales tax, and regulatory requirements for delivery fleets. I also managed bank reconciliations and multiple state and federal funds. For my small business, I… Show more During this period, I opened, owned, and operated a small retail business, however, a secondary income was still required. For this reason, I marketed my finance skills and was contracted by a few companies for general office management, to include all A/R, A/P, cash deposits, scheduling, payroll, withholdings, state and local sales tax, and regulatory requirements for delivery fleets. I also managed bank reconciliations and multiple state and federal funds. For my small business, I performed these tasks as well as inventory management, budgeting, purchasing, planning, and forecasting. Show less

My primary responsibility at Hugo Boss Fashions, Inc in Midway, GA was to ensure that all items of the proposed new Spring / Summer or Fall/Winter lines were classified properly and compliant, and to ensure they were cleared through U.S. Customs, timely, and delivered to the warehouse for distribution to the retail market. My duties included, but were not limited to, travel to home office in Metzingen twice annually to view, study, and classify (determine tariff rate or tax), each of the items… Show more My primary responsibility at Hugo Boss Fashions, Inc in Midway, GA was to ensure that all items of the proposed new Spring / Summer or Fall/Winter lines were classified properly and compliant, and to ensure they were cleared through U.S. Customs, timely, and delivered to the warehouse for distribution to the retail market. My duties included, but were not limited to, travel to home office in Metzingen twice annually to view, study, and classify (determine tariff rate or tax), each of the items from the upcoming line. I was to verify that each item was permissible for import into the United States based on its country of origin, and use my knowledge trade agreements and quotas to determine from which foreign manufacturers Hugo Boss could purchase and ship the items that would be the most cost effective and profitable for the company. I also was hired for this position to facilitate US Customs as they were beginning an on-site importer compliance audit. While responding to the requests of customs officials, I rolled out compliance procedures, obtained CTPAT certification, and ISO certification for the corporation. Show less

In addition to managing a staff of 10-12, including payroll, leave, key performance indicators, annual reviews, and enforcement of corporate policy, I was also a dedicated customer service representative. Because I had, over time, established some very strong professional relationships with a number of key personnel at several importing companies, I remained loyal to providing them the top notch customer service on which they had depended. I tracked shipments, filed appropriate paperwork with… Show more In addition to managing a staff of 10-12, including payroll, leave, key performance indicators, annual reviews, and enforcement of corporate policy, I was also a dedicated customer service representative. Because I had, over time, established some very strong professional relationships with a number of key personnel at several importing companies, I remained loyal to providing them the top notch customer service on which they had depended. I tracked shipments, filed appropriate paperwork with the proper officials, paid the duties/taxes timely, and ensured speedy delivery to the importer. Show less

I performed all duties of a customhouse import specialist, which means specifically I handled import shipments from foreign point of origin to destination. I located shipping documents, and prepared them for filing with US Customs. I filed import entries with US Customs, and ensured payment of duties and taxes was timely. I also ensured safe and cost effective transportation of imported goods to the importer's destination of choice. Finally, I was responsible for billing the importer all… Show more I performed all duties of a customhouse import specialist, which means specifically I handled import shipments from foreign point of origin to destination. I located shipping documents, and prepared them for filing with US Customs. I filed import entries with US Customs, and ensured payment of duties and taxes was timely. I also ensured safe and cost effective transportation of imported goods to the importer's destination of choice. Finally, I was responsible for billing the importer all charges, including freight, transportation, duties, service fees, and any other government agency fees, incurred by an importer for their imported shipments. Show less

I performed customhouse brokerage duties for one of the largest importers in the country as a member of the Wal-Mart team. Customhouse brokerage is likened to a travel agent for cargo, and I was an effective and efficient liason for communications between importers, foreign manufacturers, steamship lines, air cargo carriers, US Customs and other government agencies, trucking companies and LTL carriers.

My responsibilities included data entry from ship's cargo manifest to record all vessels, originating port, bills of lading, container numbers, and contents. I input location of the containers after off loading from the ship from the ILA documentation, and arranged for equipment repair if needed. I also worked at the scales, weighing inbound and outbound containers at the high traffic Gate 4.