President Bush has designated Deanna Tanner Okun, a Republican of Idaho, as Chairman of the U.S. International Trade Commission (ITC) for the term June 17, 2002, through June 16, 2004.

Okun served as Vice Chairman of the ITC from June 17, 2000, through June 16, 2002. She has served as a Commissioner since January 3, 2000. She was appointed by President Clinton for the Commission term that will expire on June 16, 2008.

Prior to her ITC appointment, Okun served as counsel for international affairs to Senator Frank Murkowski (R-AK) from 1993-1999, where she was responsible for the international trade issues with which the Senator was involved as a member of the Senate Finance Committee. She also handled international energy and foreign relations issues for the Senator, in his position as Chairman of the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee.

Earlier, Okun served as a legislative assistant to Senator Murkowski, responsible for his Foreign Relations Committee work, with an emphasis on East Asian affairs. Prior to her work with the Senator, Okun was an associate attorney and member of the International Trade Group at the Washington, DC, law firm of Hogan & Hartson. Earlier in her career, Okun was a research associate specializing in trade at the Competitive Enterprise Institute in Washington, DC.

Okun holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in political science with honors from Utah State University and received her J.D. with honors from the Duke University School of Law. She is originally from Paul, Idaho. Currently, she resides in McLean, Virginia, with her husband, Bob Okun, and two daughters, Rachel and Kelsi.

The ITC is an independent, nonpartisan, quasi-judicial federal agency that provides trade expertise to both the legislative and executive branches of government, determines the impact of imports on U.S. industries, and directs actions against certain unfair trade practices, such as patent, trademark, and copyright infringement. Commissioners are appointed by the President and confirmed by the Senate for nine-year terms, unless they are appointed to fill unexpired terms. The Chairman and the Vice Chairman are designated by the President for two-year terms in those positions.