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 IN-PERSON 2023 Summer Back to Basics | July 24-26, 2023 -- Gaylord National Harbor

CLICK HERE TO REGISTER

Don't forget to sign up for the newly revamped In-Person Summer Basics Conference being held at the Gaylord National Resort & Convention Center at the National Harbor. It's ideal for newcomers (less than 5 years of experience) to export licensing, as they will be provided with a step-by-step guide to using the International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR) and the Export Administration Regulations (EAR).

SIA has updated its virtual Back to Basics Conference - an important first step to learning about how to export articles on the United States Munitions List (USML) and the Commerce Control List (CCL) and the associated defense services and technology.

If you didn't make it to the Winter virtual conference, we hope to see you at this IN-PERSON Summer Back to Basics!

SIA 2023 Scholarship Recipients

Hershel Tamboli | Georgetown University

Similar to many of my colleagues in the field, I fell into the world of international trade and export controls by accident. While studying international relations as an undergraduate I developed an interest in the intersection of the public and private sectors. At the same time, my childhood passion for aviation led me to apply for an internship at The Boeing Company. Although I had applied for a typical business operations internship, my résumé was referred to the Global Trade Controls (GTC) department at Boeing, and later that year I was learning an entirely new language – EAR, ITAR, exceptions, exemptions, and the rest. I am eternally grateful to the recruiter who matched me with GTC. The trade field proved to be an ideal sweet spot between business and policy, and since then I have enjoyed working in it as a consultant, in industry, and in academia. Working in this field means supporting government and industry in their efforts to advance global commerce and innovation without compromising national security. Only in such a career could I support the delivery of fighter jets to U.S. allies, interview TikTok AI engineers across three continents, and help NASA-funded researchers avoid intellectual property theft.

I chose to further my education through graduate studies because I wanted to delve deeper into the national security and foreign policy rationales behind the regulations I have come to know so intimately. Although it was difficult to temporarily leave the workforce, my first semester in school has already validated my decision. My coursework related to emerging technology, national security, and international trade is helping me become a more knowledgeable and agile professional. When export controls and other trade issues have inevitably come up in class, I have drawn on my expertise to enrich the discussion and also thought critically about how current events could impact the future of trade and investment policymaking. In my final papers and memoranda, I have combined my past experience with newly acquired knowledge to formulate national security and foreign policy recommendations.

After completing my master’s degree, I plan to continue my career in the international trade and investment fields. Specifically, I want to help craft and implement policies – namely export controls, foreign investment screening, and research security measures – that address the national security challenges of commercializing emerging technologies. In the short term, I aim to serve at federal agency that oversees export controls and/or foreign investment screening. In the long term, I may remain in that capacity or return to the private sector for in-house policy affairs or compliance work. I love the field we work in because it is incredibly dynamic and there is always something new to learn or rediscover. I look forward to working in it for years to come.

Kimberly Pringle | University of Maryland Global Campus

My interest in international trade started by accident and I think many people can say the same thing. I started out working as a temp for a stevedoring company at the Port of Baltimore. I was hired there to manage the accounts receivables. I put a freight forwarder on a credit hold because they were past dues on multiple bills and through working with the general manager to clean up his account, he asked me for my resume. I never planned on getting into this line of work and found myself at the start of my career, working for a freight forwarder/customer broker. While working there I learned export freight forwarding and customs brokerage. I eventually became a licensed customs broker and worked at several customs brokerage firms before working for a defense contractor.

Since starting at Northrop Grumman, I have expanded my skill set into export compliance and was appointed as an empowered official two years ago. I enjoy export compliance and find export strategy and planning to be exciting. I love a good challenge and enjoy digging into the regulations to figure out the regulatory requirements for a complex export or import scenario. Many times, as international trade compliance professionals, we find ourselves saying “no you can’t do that” and there is usually a solid regulatory reason for that statement. On the days I find a way to get to the “yes we can do that” answer, I feel like I won a huge victory. To me, international trade compliance is like solving a complex puzzle, and when you finish it and all pieces fit perfectly, there is a feeling of great satisfaction in knowing you solved the puzzle.

In addition to export/import strategy, I have a passion for international trade automation. I enjoy taking export/import regulatory requirements and translating them into automation that improves accuracy and compliance. I like to consider all the possibilities to automate the process while ensuring all the necessary regulatory validations are deeply woven into the automation.

Ask anyone working in international trade if they learn something new every day, and most will say yes. That is one of the benefits of international trade, you learn something new every day and it never really gets boring. I learn by working through export/import scenarios, managing U.S. government regulatory changes, and working with other functions that touch international trade. Since international trade touches so many functions, it has provided me with a broader view of my company that I would not appreciate if I worked in another arena.

Educating people that work in other functions on international trade is very rewarding to me. I love to break the regulations down so they can be easily understood by someone unfamiliar with international trade requirements and seeing that “ah-ha” moment of understanding. As we all know, we cannot expect other functions to know all the rules. Providing the basics and knowing when to up the phone to ask for help is critical in the messaging.

In closing, I strived to fill the gaps of my international trade compliance knowledge to achieve a holistic view of both exports and imports. I believe that by earning a MS Degree in Acquisitions and Contract Management, I will be equipped to bring more to the table for my internal customers with a more in-depth understanding of contractual obligations and requirements.

Danielle Bainter | Texas Christian University

I have been working for Lockheed Martin for the past 5 years in the office of International Trade Compliance. It is through this job where I have fully understood the critical role International Trade plays in every import and export for our country. I choose to pursue a Masters degree in Supply Chain Management to further my understanding of how my role in International Trade applies to the Supply Chain and how I can improve it from the perspective of my company. International Trade drives the economy and effects every person around the world without people realizing it and that is what has sparked my passion for the field due to its under acknowledged importance.

Meet a New SIA Board Member | Jahna Hartwig, Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati | P&E Committee

Jahna sits on the Planning and Education Committee and is Senior Counsel at Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati and joined the board in the Summer of 2022.

An avid international traveler and was even married in Fiji and even snorkeled with sharks. She has travelled to UAE, Scotland and her favorite country to visit so far, Iceland!

The first movie she saw in a theater was Star Wars, and she's been hooked ever since.

Professionally, Jahna clerked at the U.S. Court of International Trade for Judge Thomas Aquilino and has traveled to Australia as part of a U.S. delegation to provide perspectives on export controls applicable to universities.