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Stephen E. Lamar is President and CEO of the American Apparel & Footwear Association, the national trade association representing more than 1,000 brands in the apparel and footwear industry. Steve leads a dedicated team of professionals who represent AAFA members before the government, through the media, and in industry settings on key brand protection, supply chain and manufacturing, and trade issues. Steve also advises AAFA member companies on legislation and regulatory policies. Prior to becoming President and CEO, Steve served as Executive Vice President for the association.

Prior to AAFA, Steve spent more than a decade engaged in international public policy work, including stints at the U.S. Commerce Department and in the Peace Corps. A runner, juggler, and genealogist in his spare time, Steve is President of the Washington International Trade Association. He holds a Bachelor of Arts Degree from Colgate University and a Master of Arts Degree in International Affairs (with a concentration on African politics and international trade) from George Washington University.

Stephanie Lester is a Director of Government Affairs at Gap Inc. In this capacity, she leads Gap Inc.’s trade affairs portfolio, including trade agreements, preference programs, and capacity building programs to contribute to communities in which Gap Inc. sources by utilizing trade to build sustainable apparel industries. Ms. Lester was previously Vice President for International Trade at the Retail Industry Leaders Association (RILA). In that role, she advocated on behalf of the largest, most successful retailers on international trade, customs, and product safety issues. From 2001-2006, Ms. Lester served as a professional staff member for the Ways and Means Subcommittee on Trade. In that capacity, she advised members of the Committee on a variety of trade matters including free trade agreements, WTO negotiations on rules and dispute settlement, trade preference programs, U.S. trade remedy laws, and investment. Ms. Lester also worked as an international trade analyst at the U.S. Department of Commerce and later served as the Chief of Staff for the Assistant Secretary for Import Administration. Ms. Lester holds a Bachelor of Sciences degree in Multinational Business from Florida State University, and a Master of Arts degree in International Affairs from American University in Washington, DC. Ms. Lester has served on the WITA Board of Directors since 2006, and currently serves as Vice President.

Nicole Bivens Collinson is President of the International Trade & Government Relations at Sandler Travis & Rosenberg, P. A. She leads the International Trade and Government relations practice of Sandler, Travis & Rosenberg, P.A., and serves as managing principal of the Washington, D.C., office. She is also a member of the firm’s Operating Committee and a commentator on trade matters on MSNBC, NPR, and BBC. She is the lead professional on ST&R’s engagement as legislative counsel to the National Customs Brokers & Freight Forwarders Association of America (NCBFAA).

Ms. Collinson has over 30 years of experience in government, public affairs, and lobbying. In addition, she is a leader on the firm’s initiatives to address forced labor concerns via supply chain reviews, due diligence strategies, and proactive remediation to prevent the importation of any goods that may violate section 307 of the Tariff Act of 1930 for goods made with forced labor.

Prior to joining ST&R Ms. Collinson served as assistant chief negotiator for the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative, responsible for the negotiation of bilateral agreements with Latin America, Eastern Europe, Southeast Asia, the Sub-Continent, and Africa. She also served as a country specialist bodog poker review in the International Trade Administration at the Department of Commerce, where she was responsible for the preparation of negotiations on specific topics between the U.S. and Latin America, Eastern Europe, China, and Hong Kong as well as the administration of complex textile agreements.

Ms. Collinson holds a master’s degree in international relations from The George Washington University and a triple bachelor’s degree in political science, European studies, and French from Georgetown College. She also studied at the Université de Caen in France. She is past chair of the Women in International Trade Charitable Trust, past president of Women in International Trade, an advisory board member of America’s TradePolicy.com, treasurer and board member of the Washington International Trade Association, and a member of the Washington International Trade Association Foundation and Women in Government Relations. She serves on the board of trustees for Georgetown College and is the past executive director for the U.S. Hosiery Manufacturers Coalition, the U.S. Apparel Industry Coalition, and the U.S. Sock Distributors Coalition. She is conversant in both French and Spanish.

Sarah Thorn is the Senior Director of Global Government Affairs at Walmart Stores, Inc. She is primarily responsible for managing international policy issues at Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. In this capacity, she advocates for Walmart priorities in legislation and trade negotiations that impact the company’s worldwide sourcing, e-commerce and retail distribution rights. She also leads a team that manages global supply chain policies, including responsible sourcing and labor issues.

In 2011, Sarah led the strategy team that developed Walmart’s Global Women’s Economic Empowerment Initiative, which is focused on empowering women throughout Walmart’s global supply chain. She is actively involved in the implementation of the initiative, focusing primarily stakeholder engagement and global partnerships.

Before joining Walmart, Sarah worked for seven years at the Grocery Manufacturers Association where she led the food, beverage and consumer products industry advocacy on international trade issues. Sarah has also worked as a consultant for PricewaterhouseCoopers on business mobility issues and served as an international relations representative with AMP Incorporated. Sarah began her career in Washington as a Presidential Management Fellow at the U.S. Information Agency.

She holds a Master of Arts degree in law and diplomacy from the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy and a Bachelor of Arts degree in comparative area studies and comparative literature cum laude from Duke University.

Craig Albright serves as BSA’s Vice President for US Government Relations. In this role, he leads BSA’s team that drives engagement with Congress, the Administration, and all US states. He’s responsible for developing and implementing advocacy strategy to deliver results on issues across BSA’s policy agenda.

Prior to joining BSA, Albright spent four years as the World Bank Group’s Special Representative for the United States, Australia, Canada and New Zealand, managing relations with government officials, private sector executives, think tank academics, civil society leaders and others. Before that, Albright spent more than 12 years in the US government. He served in the White House as Special Assistant to President George W. Bush for Legislative Affairs and Deputy Assistant to Vice President Dick Cheney for Legislative Affairs. In Congress, his positions included Legislative Director and Chief of Staff for former Congressman Joe Knollenberg of Michigan and Chief of Staff for Congresswoman Kay Granger of Texas.

Albright has been identified as one of the Top 100 association lobbyists by The Hill news organization and one of Washington’s Most Influential People by Washingtonian magazine. He is a native of the Detroit area and holds a BA in Economics from Michigan State University.

Amanda (Blunt) Farrell is Counsel, Legal Affairs & Trade at General Motors. Before joining GM in 2021, Amanda spent five years in the Executive Office of the President, focusing on international trade and investment law and policy in the U.S. Trade Representative’s Office of General Counsel. She represented the United States in multilateral negotiations including at the United Nations, and negotiated trade agreements with the EU, China, Japan, and others. She also litigated trade disputes at the World Trade Organization in Geneva, Switzerland. Ms. Farrell began her legal career in a large law firm’s Washington, DC office. Amanda received her J.D. from the Georgetown University Law Center. During law school she interned at the Smithsonian Institution and US Chamber of Commerce. Prior to law school she interned with a Philadelphia-based government affairs firm and the Coalition of Service Industries, a trade association in Washington, DC, while completing her degree in Political Science at the Pennsylvania State University.

Ralph Carter is Staff Vice President for Regulatory Affairs at FedEx. Mr. Carter leads a team of regulatory attorneys responsible for compliance and policy advocacy at FedEx.  Areas of responsibility include aviation law, security, customs, export controls, workplace safety and trade policy.  Mr. Carter also coordinates global regulatory and trade policy across all FedEx international regions. Mr. Carter’s team advocates for simpler, more open trade rules that reduce barriers and help FedEx customers expand their international business. Mr. Carter is a frequent speaker and contributor to international trade and economic policy organizations including APEC, the WTO, the World Bank and the World Economic Forum.  Mr. Carter has also served as Managing Director in the legal department of FedEx’s Europe, Middle East and Africa headquarters in Brussels Belgium.  Prior to FedEx, Mr. Carter served in the State Department as Special Assistant to the U.S. Ambassador to the European Union.

Paul H. DeLaney, III is Vice President, Head of Government Relations at SK Americas. As Head of Government Relations at SK Americas, Paul leads a talented government relations, public affairs, and industry strategy team that supports SK’s semiconductor and advanced materials, energy and battery, digital technology, and life sciences operations, workforce, and investments across the United States. The team advocates on U.S. federal, state and local government policy issues impacting SK’s U.S. operations and workforce, international business, and supply chains.

Paul specializes in international trade, investment, tax, supply chain, regulatory and customs advocacy and policy development. Paul has worked extensively with Executive branch agencies across four Administrations, the U.S. Congress, foreign governments, business associations, think tanks, and a wide range of companies.

Prior to joining SK Americas, Paul was a Partner at the Kyle House Group and led the firm’s international commercial policy, advocacy, counseling and dispute resolution efforts. Prior to that, Paul was Vice President for Trade and International at the Business Roundtable (BRT) where he led BRT international policy efforts through Trade and International CEO Committee and with the company representatives of the Trade and International Coordinating Committee. He partnered with
BRT leadership and Trade and International CEO Committee Chair to set strategy and engage BRT CEO Members on policy priorities and advocacy. He also served as International Trade Counsel for the U.S. Senate Committee on Finance where he assisted with Finance Committee hearings and legislative markups, drafted trade legislation and amendments, briefed Senators and staff, consulted with the Administration and the trade agencies, and met with stakeholders and foreign governments. Paul assisted in managing the Senate floor during the consideration of seven trade bills.

Prior to his Senate service, Paul served as a Senior Attorney for Trade and International Affairs at FedEx Express and advocated on trade policy and international regulatory issues before the U.S. and foreign governments, as well as with industry and trade associations. Paul also served as Deputy Chief of Staff to both U.S Trade Representative Rob Portman and Susan Schwab where he was integrally involved in strategic planning, agency operations and decision-making with senior political and career staff. Paul was the Office point of contact for the White House Staff Secretary, National Security Council, and National Economic Council staff to coordinate interagency actions.

Kimberly Thompson Ellis leads Monument Advocacy’s tax practice, having joined Monument in 2012 after serving as the Legislative Director for former House Ways and Means Committee Chairman Kevin Brady (R-TX).   She is highly respected for her work on trade, tax, and health care issues, and communicates regularly with staff and Members on the Committees on Ways and Means and Senate Finance.  Kimberly formerly served in the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative, and other private sector positions. Kimberly was previously named one of the Top Ten Trade and Tax Staffers by Roll Call, serves on the Board of Directors for the Washington International Trade Association, and is a Member of the Tax Coalition. She is a graduate of Vanderbilt University.

Audrae Erickson is Vice President at Mead Johnson. She has served on the WITA Board of Directors since 2002. Audrae Erickson joined Mead Johnson Nutrition in January 2013 as its Vice President, External & Public Affairs. In this role, Erickson will develop strategies to address external regulatory, policy and public environment issues affecting the company in the United States and global markets.

Prior to joining Mead Johnson Nutrition, Audrae Erickson was the president of the Corn Refiners Association (CRA) based in Washington, D.C. Before joining the CRA, Erickson served as bodog poker review the senior director of congressional relations for the American Farm Bureau Federation (AFBF), where she specialized in agricultural trade issues including trade policy, negotiations, dispute settlement, trade promotion authority and matters involving the World Trade Organization (WTO) and the Free Trade Area of the Americas (FTAA). In 1999, Erickson founded the Ag Trade Coalition to promote U.S. agricultural interests on WTO negotiating objectives. Prior to her tenure at AFBF, Erickson served as director of agricultural affairs at the United States Trade Representative’s (USTR) Office. Erickson was responsible for oversight of all trade issues pertaining to sweeteners, horticultural crops, biotechnology, and sanitary and phytosanitary barriers to trade. She also oversaw agriculture policy matters related to the FTAA and the North American Free Trade Agreement and represented USTR at the WTO Committee on Agriculture meetings. Before taking the position at USTR, Erickson served as an economist at the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Economic Research Service where she specialized in trade and environment issues.

Erickson earned a Master of Arts degree in economics as a Rotary scholar from McGill University in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. She graduated Magna Cum Laude with Bachelor of Arts degrees in economics/business and French at Linfield College in McMinnville, Oregon. Erickson resides in Maryland with her husband and three children.

Nasim D. Fussell is Senior Vice President at Lot Sixteen. She has worn many hats in her career and experienced Washington from the critical vantage points that give clients the perspective needed to succeed. Her perspective is formed by years in government and the private sector working with the greatest minds to shape U.S. trade policy.

Her experience crafting trade policy from both sides of the Capitol during an era of rapidly evolving trade politics has impacted her view that substance will drive the outcome, but relationships will too. As Chief International Trade Counsel for the Senate Finance Committee and Trade Counsel for the House Ways and Means Committee, she worked with the best of the best to help pass significant pieces of trade legislation and conclude trade agreements with Republican and Democratic administrations. She wrote legislation, press releases, floor speeches, tweets, and many thank-you notes. Hard work, kindness, and respect pay off and people will remember you for it.

As a trade partner in a big Washington law firm, she represented corporate, trade association, and government clients on trade policy and regulatory issues across the spectrum. Having been in her clients’ shoes during her own time in the corporate and trade association worlds, she understood how to make them happy.

She was born in Iran shortly after the 1979 revolution and her family immigrated to the United States when she was a toddler. She grew up in the DC area and Ann Arbor, Michigan, where she also graduated from the University of Michigan. After finishing law school in Baltimore, she made her way back to DC in 2009, met her wonderful and very patient husband from Arkansas, had two beautiful girls, did a lot of stuff in between, settled in Arlington, VA and joined the amazing team at Lot Sixteen.

Ed Gresser is Vice President and Director for Trade and Global Markets at PPI.

Ed returns to PPI after working for the think tank from 2001-2011. He most recently served as the Assistant U.S. Trade Representative for Trade Policy and Economics at the Office of the United States Trade Representative (USTR). In this position, he led USTR’s economic research unit from 2015-2021, and chaired the 21-agency Trade Policy Staff Committee.

Ed began his career on Capitol Hill before serving USTR as Policy Advisor to USTR Charlene Barshefsky from 1998 to 2001. He then led PPI’s Trade and Global Markets Project from 2001 to 2011. After PPI, he co-founded and directed the independent think tank ProgressiveEconomy until rejoining USTR in 2015. In 2013, the Washington International Trade Association presented him with its Lighthouse Award, awarded annually to an individual or group for significant contributions to trade policy.

Ed is the author of Freedom from Want: American Liberalism and the Global Economy (2007). He has published in a variety of journals and newspapers, and his research has been cited by leading academics and international organizations including the WTO, World Bank, and International Monetary Fund.

He is a graduate of Stanford University and holds a Master’s Degree in International Affairs from Columbia University and a certificate from the Averell Harriman Institute for Advanced Study of the Soviet Union.

Tim Keeler is a partner and Co-Lead of Mayer Brown’s International Trade Product Team, as well as heading the firm’s Committee on Foreign Investment in the US (CFIUS) practice. He is also a member of the firm’s Public Policy, Regulatory & Government Affairs group. Tim joined Mayer Brown in 2009 after a varied career in the US Government, serving at the Office of the US Trade Representative (USTR), the US Treasury Department (which chairs CFIUS), and the US Senate Finance Committee.

Prior to joining Mayer Brown, Tim served in a variety of senior positions in the U.S. Government for almost 12 years. Most recently he was the Chief of Staff in the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) from 2006 – 2009, where he oversaw implementation of U.S. policy, strategy and negotiations involving all aspects of international trade and investment matters. He worked on a number of key issues including: climate change and trade; US and China relations; WTO negotiations and litigation; free trade agreement negotiations and implementation; and CFIUS decisions.

In recognition of his government service, Tim was awarded the USTR Distinguished Service Award, the Treasury Distinguished Service Award, and the Treasury Secretary’s Honor Award twice.

Alexander Perkins serves as Principal at Mehlman Consulting. He brings more than two decades of experience in politics, policy, and business to the Mehlman Consulting team. Alex most recently spent nine years at Stellantis NV (formerly Fiat Chrysler), where he frequently advised senior management on important and time-sensitive policy issues and political and reputational risk, including risk associated with sourcing and investment decisions. A top expert in trade, customs, and supply chain issues, Alex developed and executed government relations and public affairs strategies to guide the Fortune 500 automaker through a wide-range of trade-related matters, including the North American Free Trade Agreement/United States Mexico-Canada Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA/USMCA) renegotiations. In fact, Alex helped lead the multi-sector USMCA business coalition of over 100 companies that successfully secured Congressional approval of the updated Bodog Poker trade pact. And in 2020, during the COVID-19 pandemic, Alex managed the regulatory issues associated with the company’s purchase, manufacturing, importation, export, and donation of personal protective equipment (PPE). 

While at Stellantis, Alex also served on the Steering Group of the Global Alliance for Trade Facilitation, a $50+ million public-private initiative working to implement the World Trade Organization (WTO) Trade Facilitation Agreement obligations in developing countries. In addition to managing the company’s trade, customs and supply chain policy, Alex directed a team responsible for internal and external stakeholder education and outreach, healthcare, labor and workforce policy, and economic impact analysis. 

Prior to Stellantis, Alex served as a trade counsel on the House Ways & Means Committee from 2007-2012. There, he helped the Committee enact into law Trade Adjustment Assistance, tariff preference program, Burma sanctions and Miscellaneous Tariff Bill legislation, as well as pass the U.S.-Peru, U.S-Korea, and U.S.-Panama free trade agreements. Alex began his service on Capitol Hill in 2005 as counsel to Senator Ron Wyden (D-OR) where he managed a broad portfolio that included trade, judiciary, foreign policy, and national security issues. 

Alex currently serves on the board of directors of the Washington International Trade Association, a non-profit, non-partisan forum for dialogue on trade policy. He previously served on the boards of the American Auto Policy Council and the National Foreign Trade Council. He is also a past chair of the National Association of Manufacturers’ Customs and Border Working Group. 

In 2022, Alex was included in the Washingtonian Magazine’s list of “500 Most Influential People Shaping Policy”. 

Lisa Schroeter is the Global Director of Trade and Investment Policy for The Dow Chemical Company. As part of the corporate Government Affairs & Public Policy team, Lisa has direct responsibilities for defining and managing the company’s global trade agenda as well as developing strategy on the international aspects of key corporate issues. Based in Washington, DC, Lisa’s responsibilities focus on trade policy and legislation, trade negotiations, and investment issues that foster growth in Dow’s global businesses through identification of policies facilitating market access and reducing global distribution costs.

Before joining Dow, Lisa was the Executive Director of the TransAtlantic Business Dialogue (TABD). TABD is a unique trade-facilitation process by which American and European corporations work with the U.S. Administration and the European Commission to implement practical, detailed recommendations. Lisa was responsible for staffing the U.S. Chair CEO, working with the issue committees to develop and promote their recommendations, and facilitating business and government interaction. Ms. Schroeter joined TABD in 1999, and managed the process on behalf of the Boeing Company, PricewaterhouseCoopers, United Technologies Corporation and Xerox.

Lisa is currently a member of the Council on Foreign Relations (CFR); President-Elect of Women in International Trade (WIIT) and a Board Member of the Washington International Trade Association, US Council for International Business the US-ASEAN Business Council and Cultural Tourism, DC. She serves as the Chair of the ICCA Trade Network and Global Regulatory Cooperation task forces as well as the US Business Committee of the Transatlantic Policy Network (TPN).

As a long-term DC resident, Lisa is also a Board Member of Cultural Tourism DC, celebrating the unique heritage and history of the U.S. Capital.

Neena Shenai is a Partner at WilmerHale. Neena Shenai is a seasoned legal professional with over 20 years of legal, compliance and policy experience in global cross-border activities in the private sector and in government. Ms. Shenai focuses her practice on sanctions and export controls, import/customs, CFIUS, M&A due diligence and trade policy.

From 2015-2023, Ms. Shenai held several senior roles for Medtronic, the world’s largest medical technology company. While at Medtronic, she served as chief legal counsel and head of compliance for global trade matters impacting the company’s operations in over 150 countries, including sanctions and export controls, import and strategic supply chain issues, risk management and mitigation, corporate due diligence and trade policy.

Ms. Shenai served as a trade counsel for the House Committee on Ways and Means during the chairmanships of then-Reps. Dave Camp (R-MI) and Paul Ryan (R-WI). She has also worked as a trade policy counsel for the Senate Republican Policy Committee and as the senior adviser to the assistant secretary for export administration in the Bureau of Industry and Security at the US Department of Commerce.

Ms. Shenai previously was in private practice as an associate in the Washington, DC office of another international law firm and a professional trainee in the Rules Division of the World Trade Organization. Bodog Poker She clerked for the Hon. Evan J. Wallach on the US Court of International Trade.

Michael Smart is a Managing Director at Rock Creek Global Advisors, where he focuses on international trade and investment policy, including market access and regulatory matters. He also advises multinational companies on sanctions, supply chain policy, and trade-related climate measures.

Mr. Smart previously served as Trade Counsel on the Democratic staff of the US Senate Committee on Finance. In that role, he advised Chairman Max Baucus (D-MT) and members of the committee on various trade matters, including World Trade Organization negotiations and dispute settlement, free trade agreements, agricultural trade, and the trade aspects of legislation to address climate change.

Before joining the Finance Committee, Mr. Smart was Director for International Trade and Investment on the staff of the National Security Council at the White House. Mr. Smart focused on the Doha Development Agenda, trade in financial services, free trade agreements, and bilateral investment treaties. He also served as the lead White House staff for cabinet-level dialogues with Brazil and India.

Mr. Smart was previously an associate at the law firm of Sidley Austin LLP, where his practice focused on international trade and investment policy and dispute resolution. He represented companies and governments in WTO, investment treaty, and NAFTA disputes. Earlier in his career, Mr. Smart was Legislative Director for former Congressman Earl Pomeroy (D-ND).

Mr. Smart has appeared on CNN International, BBC News, Bloomberg News, and Channel News Asia and has been quoted in publications such as the New York Times, Washington Post, Wall Street Journal, Politico, and Financial Times.

Mr. Smart is a member of the Executive Circle of the Institute of International Economic Affairs at The George Washington University and a member of the Board of Directors of the Washington International Trade Association. Mr. Smart received his BA in International Affairs from The George Washington University (Phi Beta Kappa and magna cum laude) and his JD from Georgetown University Law Center (cum laude).