CBP Appoints NCBFAA Treasurer to COAC

Washington, DC: The National Customs Brokers & Forwarders Association of America, Inc. (NCBFAA) is pleased to announce the appointment of its Treasurer, Geoffrey Powell, to a two-year term on the Departmental Advisory Committee on Commercial Operations of Customs and Border Protection and Related Functions. Better known as COAC, the group is a federal advisory committee that analysis on the impact of trade security measures and customs regulation and provides advice to CBP, the Department of Homeland Security and the Treasury Department on commercial customs operations.
         He joins NCBFAA Chairman Federico Zuniga, F. Zuniga Inc., Laredo, Texas, who recently began his second term on the Committee. His appointment continues the NCBFAA’s long-standing involvement with this important group.
         Mr. Powell is currently Vice-President of Operations for C.H. Powell Company, established by Geoffrey’s grandfather, Charles, in 1919. C.H. Powell Company is an International Logistics Provider, Freight Forwarder and Customs Broker that is family owned and its headquarters are located in Boston, Massachusetts.
         After graduating from Georgetown University in 1983 with a B.A. in economics, Mr. Powell went to work in sales for C.H. Powell Company. He received his Customs Brokers license in 1989, shortly after re-locating to Baltimore from the Boston office. In 1997, Mr. Powell became a Certified Ocean Forwarder after passing an 8-hour NCBFAA examination on all facets of international trade.
         Elected NCBFAA Treasurer in April 2006, Mr. Powell is immediate past President of the Baltimore Customs Brokers and Forwarders Association. In 2001, he formed, and is the previous Chairman of the Affiliated President’s Network, a group that comprises all the presidents of 30 Broker Associations throughout the country. He is a member of the Propeller Club of the United States, the Traffic Club of Baltimore, the National Customs Brokers and Forwarders Association of America, and is on the executive steering committee for the Port of Baltimore’s Private Sector Port Coalition. 
         In addition to providing seminars to various government agencies and trade groups, Mr. Powell has been involved with the U.S. Customs and Border Protection, the Department of Transportation, Transportation Security Administration and the Maritime Administration in post September 11^th proposed supply chain security measures. Mr. Powell currently lives in Baltimore with his wife and three sons.
         COAC members are drawn from industry sectors affected by Customs commercial operations with balanced political party affiliations. The Committee's first two-year charter was filed on October 17, 1988, and the committee has been renewed for subsequent two-year terms eight times since then.
         With the creation of DHS, the Secretary of the Treasury delegated a joint chair and Committee management role to the Secretary of Homeland Security, who delegated to the Commissioner of CBP the authority to preside jointly with Treasury over Committee meetings, to make appointments (subject to DHS approval) to COAC jointly with Treasury, and to receive COAC advice. 
         It is expected that, during its tenth two-year term, the Committee will consider issues relating to enhanced border and cargo supply chain security. COAC will continue to provide advice and report such matters as on CBP modernization and automation, informed compliance and compliance assessment, account-based processing, commercial enforcement and uniformity, international efforts to harmonize customs practices and procedures, strategic planning, northern border and southern border issues, and relationships with foreign customs authorities. Committee meetings are quarterly, although additional meetings may be scheduled. Generally, every other meeting of the Committee is held outside of Washington, DC, usually at a CBP port of entry. 
         Headquartered in Washington, DC, the NCBFAA represents nearly 800 member companies with 100,000 employees in international trade - the nation's leading freight forwarders, customs brokers, ocean transportation intermediaries (OTIs), NVOCCs and air cargo agents, serving more than 250,000 importers and exporters. Established in 1897 in New York, NCBFAA is the effective national voice of the industry. Through its various committees, counsel and representatives, the Association maintains a close watch over legislative and regulatory issues that affect its members. It keeps them informed of these and other related issues through its weekly Monday Morning eBriefing, NCBFAA Quarterly Bulletin, and various meetings and conferences throughout the year.