ITA Alumni Reunion Minutes

May 21, 2008

ITA held its first alumni reunion on May 21, 2008.  Approximately 150 of our former colleagues attended and it was great to see them.  Everyone had a chance to catch up with colleagues before the program started.

Deputy Under Secretary for International Trade Michelle O’Neill welcomed everyone. The first item on the agenda was a speech by Under Secretary for International Trade, Christopher A. Padilla concerning the state of trade and the importance of ITA’s current role in promoting exports and assisting exporters. 

The remarks were well received and set the stage for a panel discussion on “Building Support for International Trade in the 21st Century.”  The panel was made up of noted former ITA officials and moderated by the current Deputy Assistant Secretary for Market Access and Compliance, Stephen Jacobs.  Panelists included Marjory Searing, former Director General of the US&FCS who is currently a Vice President at Pfizer Corp.;  Susan Esserman,  former Assistant Secretary for Import Administration who is a partner at Steptoe & Johnson, LLP; Thomas Duesterberg, former Assistant Secretary for International Economic Policy who is President and CEO of the Manufacturers Alliance/MAPI; Faryar Shirzad, former Assistant Secretary for Import Administration, who is Global Head, Office of Government Affairs at Goldman Sachs; and Frank Vargo, former Deputy Assistant Secretary for Europe, IEP, who is currently Vice President for International Economic Affairs at the National Association of Manufacturers.

The panel discussion was informative and lively, with audience participation from members of the alumni group. 

After a break to catch up with friends and colleagues, we turned to three breakout sessions to discuss ways for alumni to support ITA’s mission.  The breakout sessions included:

1. A discussion on the role retired Foreign Commercial Service Officers might play in the organization.  The discussion was led by William Zarit, Regional Director for East Asia and the Pacific in the US&FCS.  For opportunities achievable in the short term, the group showed considerable interest in having retired officers mentor new officers, and having retired officers serve as public members on Selection Boards and Assessment Panels.  The group realized that, although establishing a When Actually Employed (WAE) program for retired officers was something most of the group wanted, this would have to be a longer term project.
2. A discussion on how former ITA employees could assist the organization with recruitment, mentoring and training, led by Stephen Jacobs, Deputy Assistant Secretary for Market Access and Compliance.  The attendees provided good suggestions for recruitment and outreach activities.  Some attendees expressed an interest in serving as mentors.
3. Ideas on the establishment of an ITA Alumni Association, led by Mary Ann McFate, alumni reunion coordinator.  Participants expressed interest in becoming a part of an ITA Alumni Association and suggested a number of activities for the alumni association to pursue including periodic newsletters, mentoring, serving as professional resources to ITA and holding periodic social activities.  Attendees felt strongly that the alumni group should combine volunteer and social activities.  It was agreed that we would explore the establishment of an alumni association.

The formal program concluded at 12:15, providing the opportunity for alumni to have lunch with former colleagues.  Feedback from attendees confirmed that the reunion was a success and indicated strong interest in future reunions and in future volunteer activities.  Please feel free to share these minutes with friends and colleagues who are former ITA employees.