Customs Shifts Top-Level Executives

Customs and Border Protection Commissioner Alan Bersin is making a high-level shuffle of executives to give the agency’s trade facilitation and enforcement divisions a better understanding of each other’s mission.

Bersin on Thursday told employees that Dan Baldwin, assistant commissioner for international trade, will become the executive director for cargo and conveyance security programs in the Office of Field Operations.

Alan Gina, assistant commissioner for international affairs, will become head of the Office of International Trade.

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Bersin said he was making the changes to restore some of the institutional knowledge that was lost when International Trade was carved out of Field Operations in 2006.

Congress provided for the Office of International Trade in the SAFE Port Act of 2006 to focus on the agency’s trade facilitation function, including development of the Automated Commercial Environment. Field Operations manages Customs inspectors and other personnel at ports and borders.

Todd Owen, whom Baldwin is replacing as head of supply chain security programs, will become director of field operations for the ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach.

The management changes will take effect March 15.

-- Contact R.G. Edmonson at bedmonson@joc.com.