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James Morrison Named OPIC Special Assistant for Congressional and Intergovernmental Affairs |
Monday, August 10, 2009 WASHINGTON, D.C. – Dr. James Morrison, longtime former President and CEO of the Small Business Exporters Association of the United States (SBEA), has been named Director of Congressional Affairs for the Overseas Private Investment Corporation (OPIC), OPIC Acting President Dr. Lawrence Spinelli announced today.
In his new position, Dr. Morrison will coordinate OPIC relations with Congress, business organizations and other government agencies.
“Jim Morrison has more than 20 years’ experience with Congress, as both a Hill staffer and an association executive. Most important to OPIC, he directed SBEA’s work with Congress on two OPIC reauthorizations and other legislation to improve access to capital for smaller companies in international trade,” said Dr. Spinelli. “He is also a recognized leader in the business community and worked closely with many other government agencies, including the Small Business Administration and the Export-Import Bank of the United States.”
“OPIC is extremely fortunate to name such a longtime and
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OPIC Acting President Dr. Lawrence Spinelli, right, after swearing in OPIC Special Assistant for Congressional and Intergovernmental Affairs Dr. James Morrison.
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effective advocate of U.S. small businesses as Jim Morrison as Special Assistant for Congressional and Intergovernmental Affairs. I know that Jim will greatly enhance raise the level of OPIC’s relations with both houses of Congress, the business community and our executive branch partners,” Dr. Spinelli said.
Dr. Morrison had been president and CEO of SBEA since 2001. SBEA is the nation’s oldest and largest nonprofit organization devoted exclusively to small and medium-size exporters. It also serves as the International Trade Council of the National Small Business Association, the nation’s oldest nonprofit advocacy organization for small business, representing over 150,000 companies.
Dr. Morrison has worked closely with the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative, as a member of the Presidential Advisory Committee on Trade Policy and Negotiation, and with the Commerce Department, as an officer of the District Export Councils of the United States. He represented American companies in work with the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) and the World Bank.
He is a member of the Bretton Woods Committee, the Washington International Trade Association, and the International Trade Policy, International Monetary Policy, and International Finance subcommittees that advise the Board of the National Association of Manufacturers. He is also a U.S. participant in the Trans Atlantic Business Dialogue.
Prior to his work with SBEA, Dr. Morrison was policy strategist for the World Travel and Tourism Council in Brussels, the leading public policy organization for the global travel and tourism industry. He obtained his Ph.D. from the University of Minnesota and his B.A. from the University of Southern California.
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