Matt Priest Named U.S. Commerce Deputy Assistant Secretary for Textiles and Apparel

For Immediate Release: December 20, 2006
Contact: Matt Englehart/Charlie Skuba (202) 482-3809

MATT PRIEST NAMED U.S. COMMERCE
DEPUTY ASSISTANT SECRETARY
FOR TEXTILES AND APPAREL

Washington, DC — Commerce Under Secretary Trade Frank Lavin today announced Matt Priest has been named Deputy Assistant Secretary for Textiles and Apparel. In his new role, Priest will oversee programs and strategies to improve the domestic and international competitiveness of the U.S. fiber, textiles and apparel industries as well as chair the interagency Committee for the Implementation of Textile Agreements (CITA).

“Matt Priest provides sound advice and key insight regarding textile and apparel issues and is a welcome addition to OTEXA,” said Lavin, Under Secretary for International Trade. “His knowledge of trade issues and industry concerns will offer a smooth transition so we can continue to work on behalf of the textile and apparel industries.”

The Deputy Assistant Secretary for Textiles and Apparel administers U.S. textile quota agreements, formulates trade policy, performs research and analysis, compiles industry data, and promotes U.S. trade events for an entire spectrum of textile and apparel goods.

Priest currently serves as Senior Advisor to the Assistant Secretary for Import Administration at the Department of Commerce, where he advises the assistant secretary on textile and trade issues. Prior to his job at the Import Administration, Priest was legislative director for Rep. Sue Myrick of North Carolina, where he served as an advisor in the areas of textiles, trade and economic development. Priest succeeds James Leonard, who served in the position from 2002 until September of 2006.

Priest earned his BA in political science from North Carolina State University in Raleigh. He lives with his wife and daughter in Springfield, Va.

The Committee for the Implementation of Textile Agreements (CITA), an interagency group chaired by the Department of Commerce, is responsible for matters affecting textile trade policy and for supervising the implementation of all textile trade agreements. For additional information on CITA, please visit the Office of Textiles and Apparel Web site at http://otexa.ita.doc.gov/cita.htm.

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