WASHINGTON, D.C. - U.S. Trade Representative Ron Kirk today formally announced new USTR staff:
Julianna Smoot is the Chief of Staff for USTR. Smoot previously worked as Co-Chair for the Presidential Inaugural Committee and National Finance Director for the Obama for America campaign. She served as National Finance Director for the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee, as well as senior advisor for a number of senatorial and congressional campaigns. Smoot received her Bachelor of Arts degree in Government from Smith College.
Peter Cowhey is serving as the Senior Counselor to Ambassador Kirk. Dr. Cowhey is currently on leave from his position as Dean of the School of International Relations and Pacific Studies and Qualcomm Professor at the University of California, San Diego. He is the former Chief of the International Bureau of the FCC and Director of the University of California system's Institute on Global Conflict and Cooperation. He also headed policy studies for the California Institute on Telecommunications and Information Technology. Dr. Cowhey holds a Masters and Ph.D. in Political Science from the University of California, Berkeley, and a Bachelors degree in Foreign Service from Georgetown University.
Timothy Reif is the General Counsel for USTR. Reif has more than twenty years of experience in international trade law, policy and negotiations. Prior to joining USTR, Reif served as Chief International Trade Counsel for the Committee on Ways and Means in the U.S. House of Representatives. He previously served as Special International Trade Counsel at Dewey Ballantine LLP. Reif has also served as a visiting lecturer and adjunct professor at various universities. He received his Juris Doctor from Columbia University School of Law and his Master of Public Affairs and Bachelor degrees from Princeton University.
Lisa A. Garcia is the Assistant U.S. Trade Representative for the Intergovernmental Affairs and Public Liaison office. Garcia will lead domestic outreach efforts to state and local governments, the business and agricultural communities, labor, environmental, non-governmental organizations, consumer groups and state and local governments on trade matters. She will also be responsible for improving the public's understanding of U.S. trade policies through education and strategic communications initiatives. In addition, her office manages the U.S. trade advisory committee system. Garcia has more than fifteen years work experience in National and State Legislative oversight, national initiatives, corporate governmental and public affairs. Previously, Garcia was Principal of her own strategic & political consulting firm in Austin and served in the office of U.S. Senator John Kerry as well as on the Kerry-Edwards 2004 campaign. Garcia has also worked for Texas elected officials and a variety of Texas political campaigns and initiatives. She received her Bachelor of Arts degree in Communication from the University of Texas.
Myesha Ward has been named Deputy Assistant U.S. Trade Representative for the Intergovernmental Affairs and Public Liaison office. Ward served as Midwest Regional Political Director and Deputy Director for Delegate Operations for the Obama for America campaign. Previously, Ward served as the Deputy National Political Director for John Kerry's Political Action Committee Keeping America's Promise and on Kerry's 2004 Presidential Campaign. Ward received her Juris Doctor from the University of Maryland and her Bachelor's degree from Howard University.
Daniel Sepulveda is the Assistant U.S. Trade Representative for Congressional Affairs. Sepulveda managed trade, immigration, interstate commerce, labor, and ethics and lobbying reform issues for Senator Barack Obama from 2004-2008. Prior to joining Senator Obama's office, Sepulveda worked for Senator Barbara Boxer advising her on trade, technology, telecommunications, media regulation, consumer affairs, immigration and labor issues. He received a Master of Public Affairs from the LBJ School of Public Affairs at the University of Texas at Austin as a Woodrow Wilson Fellow in Public Policy and International Affairs and a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science and History degree from Emory University.
Luis Jimenez is the Deputy Assistant U.S. Trade Representative for Congressional Affairs. Jimenez previously served as the Legislative Director for Democratic Caucus Chairman Rahm Emanuel where he managed the Chairman's legislative agenda. In addition, Jimenez served as Emanuel's primary advisor for trade issues on the Committee on Ways and Means, and as Emanuel's advisor for foreign affairs, immigration, defense and appropriations. He received his Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Science, International Studies and Spanish from the University of Kansas.
Charles Small has been named Congressional Affairs Specialist for USTR. He previously served as Entertainment Liaison for the Presidential Inaugural Committee and a Vote Corps Leader on the Obama for America campaign. Small previously served as Director of Public Affairs at Westin Rinehart Group and as Managing Director of Cities United for Science Progress for the US Conference of Mayors. He worked as Legislative Correspondent for Senator Barbara Boxer and also served in the Clark Campaign for President and the Office of the Deputy Mayor for Children, Youth, Families and Elders. Small received his Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Science from Swarthmore College.
Averyl Bailey is the Director of Scheduling and Advance. A former National Lead Advance for the Obama for America Campaign, Bailey has served in both communications and event management capacities both domestically and internationally for various organizations. Before joining Obama for America, Bailey served as Vice President of Public Affairs for Frisby & Associates. She also previously served as Lead Advance for the Kerry-Edwards 2004 Presidential Campaign, the Clinton Administration and the Gore 2000 Campaign. Bailey received her Bachelor of Science degree in Sociology from Virginia Commonwealth University.
Devorah Adler is the Executive Secretary at USTR. Adler previously served as Research Director for the Obama for America campaign and as the Research Director for the Democratic National Committee. Adler has also worked for the House Democratic Leader, the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee, the Senate Democratic Leader, and the Ron Kirk for U.S. Senate campaign. She received her Masters in Health Science from the Johns Hopkins University School of Hygiene and Public Health and her Bachelor of Arts in English Literature from the University of Michigan.
Stacy Koo is Confidential Assistant to the Chief of Staff and Associate Director of Scheduling and Advance. Koo recently served as Finance Chief of Staff for the Presidential Inaugural Committee. She worked for the Democratic National Committee as Financial Surrogate Director, and LaFave and Associates as Senior Associate. Koo served as assistant to then National Finance Director Julianna Smoot at the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee before serving as Special Assistant to Chairman U.S. Senator Schumer. She received her Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Science from Baylor University.
Brett Rosenthal has been named Personal Assistant to Ambassador Kirk. Rosenthal hails from Texas, most recently serving as Coordinated Campaign Director and Co-Chairman of the Tarrant Obama group for the Lone Star Project. Previously, he worked managing correspondence on the Obama for America campaign during the General Election and as Field Organizer during the Primary Elections. Rosenthal received his Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Science from Yale University.
