GDEI Trade Mission to the Caribbean Region

A career member of the Senior Foreign Service, Patricia Aguilera assumes the duties of the Chargé d’Affaires for the U.S. Embassy in the Dominican Republic. Aguilera has served in the country since July 2023, holding the position of Deputy Chief of Mission, until September 28, 2023.

Patricia most recently served as the acting Director for International Narcotics and Law Enforcement (INL) for Mission Mexico, where she was responsible for the policy and strategy for the $3.4 billion security assistance program implemented across Mexico’s 32 states and federal government.  Under her tenure, the United States and Mexico implemented the Bicentennial Framework for Security, Public Health, and Safe Communities to establish a comprehensive, long-term approach for binational actions to pursue the safety and security of both countries.

Prior to her time in Mexico, Patricia served as the Director for the Intelligence Watch (INR) in the Operations Center, the Department’s 24-hour nerve center that monitors global events.  She led the team that briefed the Secretary and other Department officials on breaking intelligence and coordinated communication with the Intelligence Community during crises.  As Director for American Citizen Services and Crisis Management, Patricia led the creation and implementation of the current Travel Advisory system still in use by the Department today.  She oversaw the Department’s inaugural Consular Hostage Recovery group and implemented interagency operating procedures for the return of wrongfully detained U.S. citizens abroad.

Patricia served as Foreign Policy Advisor to Marine Corps Central Command Forward in Bahrain; Special Assistant to the Under Secretary for Political Affairs covering among other portfolios Western Hemisphere Affairs; and Eagleburger Fellow to Boeing Commercial.  Other tours include to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Barbados and the Eastern Caribbean, the Netherlands Antilles, and as a Watch Officer in the Department’s Operations Center.

A native of Texas, Patricia has a BA in Political Science and MA in International Relations from St. Mary’s University in San Antonio, Texas.

• Bachelor of Law, Magna Cum Laude from the Universidad Nacional Pedro Henríquez Ureña, with a postgraduate degree in International Relations from the Diplomatic School of Spain and a Master’s degree in Marketing from BARNA Business School.

• Currently serves as the Deputy Minister of Foreign Trade at the Ministry of Industry, Commerce, and MSMEs of the Dominican Republic, since August 2020.

• First Executive Director of the Santo Domingo Chamber of Commerce and Production.

• Former Deputy Executive Director of the Caribbean Export Development Agency, headquartered in Santo Domingo.

• Served as Ambassador, in charge of Bilateral Relations at the Deputy Secretary of Foreign Policy.

• Held the position of Director of Foreign Trade and Administration of International Trade Treaties at the Ministry of Industry and Commerce, and was the Team Leader for the implementation of DR-CAFTA for the Dominican Republic.

• Served as Director of International Relations at the Ministry of Energy and Mines of the Dominican Republic and was the first National Coordinator of the Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (EITIRD).

• Founded VA Consulting, a pioneering firm in the areas of Foreign Trade Law, from which she has been a consultant and advisor to companies and organizations, both national and international.

• In the private sector role, she was a member of several boards of directors of business organizations and civil society.

Anne McKinney is Vice President for the Americas at the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and also serves as Executive Vice President of the Association of American Chambers of Commerce in Latin America and the Caribbean (AACCLA).  McKinney is responsible for business advocacy and policy-oriented programs to promote trade and investment in the Americas.  

Prior to joining the Chamber in 2018, McKinney worked to promote international investment in the United States as the Director of Investment Services for SelectUSA at the U.S. Department of Commerce’s International Trade Administration. She oversaw a global team of investment specialists providing advisory services to international companies and U.S. economic development organizations. McKinney has extensive experience working on trade, investment and economic development in Latin America and the Caribbean.  For more than twelve years, McKinney served as Country Manager and Regional Director at the U.S. Trade and Development Agency (USTDA), where she promoted U.S. exports and partnerships in infrastructure projects and advanced U.S. policy priorities in Latin America and the Caribbean. McKinney also worked as a regional business development consultant for Cisco Systems, based in Bogotá, Colombia and subsequently served as Deputy Executive Director of AmCham Colombia, where she led the development of strategic partnerships, business advocacy, and programs to support bilateral trade, investment and corporate citizenship.

McKinney has an M.A. in International Relations from the Johns Hopkins University School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS) and a B.A. in International Studies from American University.

Mr. Brito works as Country Economist for the IDB in the Dominican Republic. He holds a master's degree in economics from the Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile. Before joining the IDB, he worked as economist at the Government of Guatemala and as economic analyst at the International Monetary Fund in Washington DC. His areas of research focus on economic development and macroeconomic analysis.

Michael K. Jackson currently serves as a Sr. International Trade Specialist at the Baltimore office of the U.S. Commercial Service - the export promotion arm of the U.S. Department of Commerce’s International Trade Administration. 

Immediately prior to joining Commercial Service-Maryland, Mr. Jackson served as the Lead Business Development Officer in the Minority and Women-Owned Business (MWOB) Outreach Group at the Export-Import Bank of the United States (EXIM), America’s official export credit agency. In that capacity he was responsible for export finance education, training, outreach, and partnerships with veteran, minority, and women-owned businesses, associations, and organizations. 

Prior to his role at EXIM, Mr. Jackson previously served as a Business Development Specialist & District International Trade Officer (DITO) with the Baltimore District Office of the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) where he focused on outreach to veteran-owned businesses as well as small businesses interested in doing business globally.  

Prior to beginning his career with the U.S. federal government, Mr. Jackson spent over a decade in the private sector and held sales and marketing positions with several Fortune 500 corporations in the banking and IT/telecom industry sectors. In addition to his government and past corporate experience, Mr. Jackson also has an extensive track record of entrepreneurship in health & wellness and professional speaking. 

Mr. Jackson earned an MBA in International Business from American Intercontinental University (Atlanta, GA) and a B.S. in Government & Politics with an International Relations concentration from the University of Maryland Global Campus (Heidelberg, Germany).  He also holds several professional certifications, including the Certified Global Business Professional (CGBP). He is a husband, a proud father of four daughters and a veteran of the U.S. Air Force.

As a member of the federal Senior Executive Service (SES), Ms. Hill is Director of the Office of Customer Experience and has responsibility for the management, formulation, and execution of the Agency’s customer experience strategy. She builds coalitions with federal agencies, Fortune 500 corporations, major national industry trade associations and chambers of commerce to cultivate and establish strategic consortia that support the growth and global competitiveness of MBDA clients and customers. Her office leads the Minority Business Enterprises Advisory Council, MOUs, and external engagement. She provides executive leadership for several strategic initiatives within the Department of Commerce and works closely with Departmental executive level political and career senior executives to implement and execute strategies that strengthen domestic and global supply chains and yield economic impact. She serves as liaison to the Department of Commerce Strategic Planning Committee, and Performance Excellence Council. Ms. Hill leads agency efforts to comply with the Office of Management & Budget (OMB) A-11, Section 280 policy related to Managing Customer Experience and Improving Service Delivery.

Ms. Hill has served as Senior Advisor to the Under Secretary for MBDA. For 10 years, she served as Chief of the Office of Business Development at MBDA, where she had oversight of the Office of Business Development. In this role, she served as Federal Program Officer and led the nationwide network of 88 MBDA Business Centers, programs and initiatives including export centers, advanced manufacturing centers, federal procurement center, enterprising women of color, Equity Multiplier, Entrepreneurship for the Formerly Incarcerated, Minority Serving Colleges and Universities, and American Indian Alaska Native & Native Hawaiian programs. Collectively, during her tenure, these programs generated more than $30 billion dollars in contracts and financing for MBDA clients, and the creation of hundreds of thousands of jobs, advancing the growth of the U.S. economy.

With broad global experience in business development, Ms. Hill has served as Acting National Field Director for the U.S. Commercial Service (CS), International Trade Administration (ITA), U.S. Department of Commerce. In this role, she had oversight of the U.S. Field to lead 106 U.S. Export Assistance Centers (USEAC). She provided strategic direction and communication of strategy and priorities to nearly 300 staff in the U.S. field. She also served as Senior Policy Advisor on the ITA Federal and State Export Promotion.

Ms. Hill holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration from Benedict College and a Master of Business Administration degree from Emory University, Goizueta Business School. She is a graduate of the Harvard Kennedy School of Government’s Senior Executive Fellows Program.

Lucile Houellemont Jimenes is the president and founder of Alarma 24 and president of Dominican Watchman, both BASC-certified security companies. With over 25 years in security, she was the first in the Dominican Republic to become "Certified Protection Professional" (CPP) by ASIS International and leads the market's top security services operation with over 2,500 employees and 14 offices nationwide.  She has served as president of the Dominican Association of Security Companies (ADESINC) and on the National Social Security Council representing employers through COPARDOM. She also co-manages La Casa del Conductor, a public-private partnership supporting traffic accident issues.

Houellemont serves on the board of the American Chamber of Commerce (AMCHAMDR) and as a director of the National Council of Private Enterprise (CONEP). She is on the Advisory Council of the National Competitiveness Council and the Gender Parity Initiative of the Dominican Republic.

Houellemont has received numerous accolades, including "Distinguished Alumna" by Carol Morgan School in 2018, ALTRAVAL award in 2014, and FEM 2019 award by the Federation of Women Entrepreneurs. She holds a degree from the University of Pennsylvania and a postgraduate degree in Management from Barna Business School, along with various courses and diplomas.

Megan Hyndman is the Environment Technologies and Climate Team Lead with ITA’s Office of Energy and Environmental Industries, where she works to promote U.S. industry competitiveness across the water and wastewater treatment, air pollution monitoring and control, and waste management and recycling sectors, as well as advance U.S. climate and trade policies. Previously, Ms. Hyndman served in ITA’s Office of South Asia, where she led bilateral commercial cooperation on energy and environmental issues. She also served as a Peace Corps volunteer in the Dominican Republic and spent time working with the World Bank’s Ease of Doing Business team and with the U.S. Trade and Development Agency. Ms. Hyndman holds a Master’s degree in International Relations from the Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies and a B.A. in Foreign Affairs from the University of Virginia.

Co-Founder Solar Axiom LLC 2016

SAX is focused on the development and ownership of small commercial solar energy production facilities in Florida, the Caribbean and Central America. SAX is a pioneer “Build-Own-Operate” developer of commercial and industrial renewable energy facilities in the region. SAX is created and operated as a Benefits Corporation. The firm has a special emphasis and expertise on solar energy on resorts. In March of 2020, Solar Axiom commissioned the largest resort solar facility in the Western Caribbean on the island of Roatan, Honduras. Among Solar Axiom’s customers are resorts operated under the flagships of Marriott and Wyndham.

Founder and President at Diesel 2 Gas Inc. 2009-2015

Developed the early management team, lead the EPA advocacy campaign, and market analysis for the creation of manufacturer of dual fuel systems for class 8 trucks in America. The company launched its dual fuel system product that has become the premier system in its class.

Gaseous Fuel Systems Corp. (GFS) 2007-2011

Mr. Muller, imbedded as its Director of Strategic Projects, led GFS through its acquisition by Black River Asset Management.  MGI assisted GFS in pioneering its revolutionary dual fuel systems for mining applications creating a product for off-road mining trucks.

Muller Group International (MGI) 1997- Present

In 1997, Mr. Muller formed Muller Group International (MGI), an international business consulting firm focusing on business development, project development, joint ventures, project financing and legal consulting in Latin America, and Spain. Under Mr. Muller’s direction, MGI has led the creation of several power development companies and projects throughout Latin America and the United States. In addition to its power development consulting business, MGI has served clients in the areas of Cross-border International Finance and more recently in alternative energy. Mr. Muller served on assignment to the Overseas Private Investment Corporation OPIC in Washington D.C. as the Investment Development Manager for Central America and the Caribbean. Mr. Muller was responsible for business development in the region.

 Presidential Appointee, Senior Executive Service at US Department of Commerce 1994 - 1997 

Mr. Muller served in the Senior Executive Service of the first term of the Clinton-Gore administration. In 1994 he was appointed by President Clinton and served under the late Secretary of Commerce, Ronald H. Brown.

Prior to his service at the U.S. Department of Commerce, Mr. Muller was a partner in the Law Firm of Fernandez Muller & Sanderson in Tampa, Florida. He currently serves on the Board of Directors of Keralty, USA (Santias) which is a subsidiary of the largest health care provider in Columbia and second larges private heath care provider in South and Central America.

Mr. Muller has served and continues to serve on several private-sector, nonprofit and government advisory boards, groups and committees in the U.S., Latin America and Spain.

Elio E. Muller Jr. is a 1982 graduate of South Texas College of Law in Houston, Texas, with a Juris Doctor Degree, and a 1979 graduate of the University of South Florida in Tampa, Florida, with a Bachelor of Arts in Social Science Education.   Elio E. Muller Jr. was born in Cuba and resides in Tampa, FL.    

Roger S. Pulwarty is the Senior Scientist in the NOAA Physical Sciences/Water Cycle Laboratory and Acting Director of the NOAA Climate Program Office. Dr. Pulwarty has developed and led landmark programs integrating climate science and decision-making, including the National Integrated Drought Information System, and the World Bank Mainstreaming Adaptation in the Caribbean. In addition to over 120 publications, he has served as a convening lead author for the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, the UN Office for Disaster Risk Reduction, and the U.S. National Climate Assessment, among others. Roger maintains active partnerships with the Caribbean Institute for Meteorology and Hydrology, the Caribbean Community Climate Centre, the Caribbean Disaster Emergency Management Agency, and the University of the West Indies, Barbados, where he helped develop the first graduate Climate program in the region. Roger has presented before the US Congress, the UN General Assembly, and the Pontifical Sciences Academy, among others.  He co-chairs the White House Subcommittee on Resilience Science and Technology, the UN Climate Services Information System, and is on the UNDRR Science and Technology Advisory Group for Latin America and the Caribbean. His work has been awarded by the Government of Trinidad and Tobago, the U.S. Department of Commerce, and with the 2022 U.S. Presidential Rank Award.  Roger is a Fellow of the American Meteorological Society and the American Geophysical Union, and is the co-author of “Hurricanes: Climate and Socio-economic Impacts” (Springer, reissued 2012), “Drought and Water Crises” (CRC Press 2017), and “Droughts: from Risk to Resilience” (UN Press, 2021).

Katerin is an Energy Specialist in the Dominican Republic's USAID Mission. She leads the Caribbean Climate Investment Program (CCIP), which is part of the Regional Caribbean Energy Initiative (CEI), and co-leads other energy and climate initiatives within the mission. 

Katerin is a development economist with more than 10 years of professional experience. She specializes in environmental and energy economics and has extensive research and consulting experience in the political economy of sociotechnical transformations to sustainable systems. She has co-authored several peer-reviewed articles in the areas of energy and conservation. Katerin holds a Ph.D. in Global Studies-International Political Economy, from the University of Massachusetts Lowell (UML), a master’s degree in Economic Development and Growth, from Universidad Carlos III de Madrid (UC3M), and a bachelor’s degree in Economics from Instituto Tecnológico de Santo Domingo (INTEC).

Keith Eischeid is the Acting Director for the Latin America and Caribbean regional team at the U.S. Trade and Development Agency (USTDA). In this capacity, he is responsible for developing and supervising USTDA’s activities in the region to support the development of priority infrastructure projects that create opportunities for U.S. exports. In addition to his regional responsibilities, he also co-leads USTDA’s worldwide ICT Sector Team. Mr. Eischeid began his career at USTDA in 2003 as a Presidential Management Fellow.

Mr. Eischeid has worked with the Latin America and Caribbean region since 1997 and is fluent in Spanish. Prior to joining USTDA, he worked in the agricultural affairs section of the Embassy of Chile in Washington, D.C.

Mr. Eischeid received a master’s degree from The Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy at Tufts University, where he served on the editorial board of The Fletcher Forum of World Affairs. He earned a bachelor’s degree from Stanford University, graduating with honors in Latin American Studies.

Armando Rivas has 28 plus years of experience in port operations and security, with a wide array of expertise in logistics, goverment affairs and trade.

Currently is the VP Operations (COO)for Haina International Terminals, the private port operator of the main multipurpose port in the Dominican Republic.

Ana Mylena Aguilar serves as a Senior Specialist in Health and Social Protection. She holds a Doctorate in Global Health and Population from Harvard University, a master’s in applied economics from Universitat Pompeu Fabra, and an Economics degree from CIDE. She works for the Inter-american Development Bank first , at Mexico and Belize Country Offices and now in the Dominican Republic, coordinating the Bank's portfolio in critical areas such as health systems strengthening, non-communicable diseases, malaria, digital health, and care systems, among others. Previously, she served as a Senior Health Economist at the World Bank for Eastern Europe, Central Asia, and East Africa, and as a Health Economist for the World Health Organization (WHO) in Geneva, Switzerland. Her publications cover topics such as health system financing, fertility and education, aging, and early childhood, among others.

George Hart is Manager of Sales of FedEx Latin America and Caribbean Division. Based in the Dominican Republic, he leads a team of sales professionals and oversees the implementation of the sales strategy of the company in the Dominican Republic and the Caribbean. 

He began his career at FedEx in 1992. In 1997, he was promoted to his current position.

Hart began his professional journey in the airline industry with Air Canada and American Airlines in the Dominican Republic during the late 1980s and early 1990s.

Beyond his professional achievements, Hart is actively engaged in community service and has been involved with Rotary International, contributing to charitable initiatives and promoting the objectives of the organization.

Sheila joined the U.S. Commercial Service at the U.S. Embassy in Santo Domingo in 1997. Among the responsibilities that Ms. Diaz has in CS Santo Domingo, she serves as the Senior Commercial Specialist for the Dominican Republic, contributing to the design of the strategic planning for the office.

In her current capacity, Ms. Diaz is responsible for managing trade facilitation programs, intellectual property rights, free trade agreements and trade barrier issues. She also covers the following industry sectors: construction and engineering, environmental, infrastructures, defense, safety & security, textiles, food processing and packaging equipment, among others.

Ms. Diaz has been responsible for coordinating several trade missions (in-bound and outbound), including Secretarial Visits, Governors and State Secretaries of Commerce, amongst other high-ranking visitors. Ms. Sheila Diaz has received several Commercial Service Performance Awards (every year since 2001), Meritorious Honor Awards from the Department of State in 2001, 2013 and 2016,Bronze Medal Award for Superior Federal Service in 2007, and Star Award in 2024.

Prior to her work at CS Santo Domingo, she worked for Citibank Dominican Republic as Branch Assistant Manager, and for Verizon Dominicana as Human Resources Technical Assistant. She graduated with honors from Universidad APEC in 1991 with a BA degree in Business Administration and holds a Minor Degree in International Business from the Florida International University in 1992. Ms. Sheila is married to a Dominican Navy Admiral and has one daughter.

Since September 2021, Adam Shanks has been the director of the U.S. Commercial Service’s Rockford office, serving Northwest Illinois.

 Before his career at the U.S. Commercial Service, Adam worked for 16 years in international sales in the meteorological industry. 

• Between 2005 and 2018, he was the Sales Manager for Central America, the Caribbean, and Mexico for Vaisala Inc.
• From 2013 to 2018, he managed Vaisala’s operations from Mexico City.
• In 2018, he moved to Dusseldorf, Germany, to work for Leonardo Germany as the Americas Regional Sales Manager.
• Adam received his degree in Economics from the University of California Irvine and an MBA in international business from the Thunderbird School of Global Management in Arizona.
•      Adam also studied at the Pontifícia Universidade Católica do Rio de Janeiro, where he lived for one year.

Founded in 2004, New Century International and affiliate companies known as New Century Companies have been engaged in Developing housing projects, Government design and construction contracts, Clean Energy, Franchising of Patent Pending Blok-On building system, real estate investments, water and sewer utility company, manufacturer of building products and distributors of home building materials. Currently New Century Companies are the largest developer of affordable housing in Central America. New Century built the first full robotic built block house in the USA in September 2024.

Alex De La Cruz started operations in 1994 and after selling original companies and investments in 2003 founded New Century International that runs and operates offices in USA, Canada, St Domingo, Guyana, Nicaragua and initiating operation in Panama. Alex has served of several boards in the community such as American Red Cross, Special Olympics, Children’s Survival Network, University of Miami, Americas Relief Team, Community Smiles and others. In addition, he has served on a Pro-bono basis as a civilian advisor for the department of defense (SOUTHCOM Div) and have received several awards as “Miracle Maker” from Big Brother and Big Sisters, Innovator of the year by Cemex, Excellence award by DOD SOUTHCOM and many more.

Kate Isler is a seasoned business leader with over 20 years of experience, known for her pioneering work in supporting women-owned businesses. As co-founder of WMarketplace, an innovative ecommerce accelerator and workforce development company, she champions economic growth and gender equity worldwide. Kate’s leadership journey spans executive roles in Fortune 100 companies and dynamic startups, with a global perspective shaped by her years at Microsoft and work across international markets. Her 2021 memoir, Breaking Borders (HarperCollins Leadership), captures her professional and personal evolution, including her achievements in the tech industry and dedication to driving change. Happily married with three sons, Kate is passionately building a company committed to fostering economic prosperity and bridging the gender gap.

Katherine Therieau is Regional Manager of Western Hemisphere, Advocacy Center, International Trade Administration, managing advocacy cases in Brazil, Peru, Chile, Guyana, Suriname, and the Caribbean.  The mission of the Advocacy Center is to marshal USG resources and authority to level the playing field on behalf of U.S. business interests as they compete against foreign firms for specific international contracts or other U.S. export opportunities.  As a member of the Advocacy Center team, Kathy works with clients to devise customized advocacy strategies in targeted export markets, tying in the support of up to 14 U.S. Government agencies involved in international trade.  Prior to working for the Advocacy Center,  for over 25 years, Katherine was employed by the Rhode Island Commerce Corporation (RI Commerce) in partnership with the John H. Chafee Center for International Business at Bryant University as Director, International Trade Programs.   Kathy has dedicated her professional career to assisting exporters on all aspects of international trade. 

Jason Hirst, based in Pembroke, MA, US, is currently a Sales Director North America at Ambilabs® LLC. Jason Hirst brings experience from previous roles at Ambilabs® LLC, American Ecotech and INNOVEX. Jason Hirst holds a 1994 - 1998 University of Massachusetts Amherst. With a robust skill set that includes Loans, Computer Security, Business Development, Enterprise Software, Account Management and more.

Mr. Aguilar oversees a portfolio of technical cooperation reform projects in the Latin America and Caribbean region focusing on governance regimes for public procurement, infrastructure development through public-private partnerships and other means, customs, trade facilitation, and supply chains regulatory efficiency. His areas of expertise include international economic law and policy, emerging markets, administrative law, and related topics, with experience working in the US, Latin America, and Southeast Asia.

Prior to joining the CLDP team, Mr. Aguilar was a Legal Adviser at the US Chamber of Commerce's Center for International Private Enterprise (CIPE), assigned to the Global Alliance for Trade Facilitation (GATF). In this role, Mr. Aguilar managed the legal and regulatory portfolio of CIPE’s technical assistance programs focused on international trade law, local regulations, customs policies, and modernization of trade facilitation systems.

Mr. Aguilar holds a Bachelor of Arts in International Relations from Rollins College, Florida, a Juris Doctor, as well as a Master of Arts in International Studies with a specialization in International Politics from American University in Washington, D.C. He is licensed to practice law in the state of Maryland, a member of the bar of the U.S. Court of International Trade, and he is a Certified PPP Professional (CP3P) by APMG International.

Ms. Kirkagacli is currently supervising procurement activities under the IDB active portfolio in the Dominican Republic and previously in Haiti. She oversees and provides advice to national public executing entities on IDB financing of complex procurement processes in several sectors such as transport, energy, water and sanitation, agriculture, urban development, and social protection. As a procurement specialist in the country, she also leads activities to strengthen the national procurement system in the areas of professionalization, legal framework, and sustainable procurement.

Prior to her work at the IDB, Ms. Kirkagacli worked in two UN agencies (FAO and IFAD) as a Legal and Contracts Consultant, acting as the Headquarters focal point for the procurement offices of several countries in Africa, Eastern Europe, Central Asia, and Latin America.

Ms. Kirkagacli graduated in International and European Law from the Sorbonne University in Paris and holds an LLM in Law, Development, and Governance from the School of Oriental and African Studies, University of London.

Jennifer is the Regional Senior Commercial Officer for the Caribbean based in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic.She coordinates U.S Department of Commerce activities across the DR, Haiti, Jamaica, the Bahamas, Guyana, Suriname, Trinidad & Tobago, and Barbados and the Eastern Caribbean.

Previously, Jennifer was the organization’s Senior Advisor for Career Development and Assignments of the 250+ Foreign Service Officer Corps and advised on strategic staffing and resourcing policies and programs worldwide.  Other assignments include serving as the Senior Commercial Officer at the U.S. Embassy in Budapest, Hungary; the Deputy Senior Commercial Officer at the U.S. Embassy in London, UK where she monitored nascent HMG policies affecting U.S. interests in response to the pro-Brexit vote; the Senior Commercial Officer in Almaty, Kazakhstan; the  Commercial Officer at the U.S. Mission to the European Union; and the Commercial Officer at the U.S. Export Assistance Center Boston, MA.  Before joining the Foreign Service, Jennifer worked at the U.S. Department of Commerce in Washington, DC and in the private sector as a consultant to the U.S. Trade and Development Agency (USTDA).  Jennifer has an M.A. from George Washington University and a B.A. from Bucknell University.

Jeff is an economic officer at the American embassy in Trinidad and Tobago and has served in similar roles in Spain, Belgium, Iraq, Kenya, and Mexico.  Jeff grew up in the splendors of the American West, studied engineering, and worked in R&D and plant expansions in the automotive industry.  Jeff loves learning from business owners and risktakers and believes international trade is one of the strongest ways we promote understanding.  He is married with two adult children. 

Daniel Gaines is assigned to Georgetown, Guyana as the Senior Commercial Officer for the U.S. Department of Commerce’s U.S. & Foreign Commercial Service (CS).

Prior to this assignment, Daniel served as a Commercial Officer in Buenos Aires, Argentina and Nairobi, Kenya.  He has also served stints as the Acting Senior Commercial Officer for CS Angola, Ethiopia, Nigeria, and Tanzania.

Within the United States, Daniel served as the Director of the CS Phoenix Export Assistance Center (USEAC), as a Senior International Trade Specialist in the Northern Virginia USEAC, and has experience in Washington, DC from his time in the Office of the Assistant Secretary & Director General in Commerce Headquarters.

Daniel holds a Bachelor of Arts in International Business from the University of Alabama and a Masters in Global Management from Thunderbird School of Global Management.  

Bryan Goldfinger is currently posted in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, serving as a Commercial Officer covering the Caribbean Region with the U.S. Foreign Commercial Service, part of the Department of Commerce.

Bryan previously served as the Digital Attaché in Brasilia, Brazil, following a post at the Dallas-Ft. Worth U.S. Export Assistance Center, where he covered the Design & Construction, Environmental Technology, and Marine Technologies portfolios.

Prior to his work with the Dept. of Commerce, Bryan spent several years in Business Development with a national commercial solar developer based in California, where he partook in the development of over 100 megawatts of solar projects. Mr. Goldfinger previously worked in the non-profit sector as the Nicaragua Country Director of an international development organization that focused on primary school construction in rural communities. During his tenure, he oversaw the construction of 54 public schools, now operated by the Nicaraguan Ministry of Education. Bryan began his career in the audit practice at KPMG in Orange County, California.

Bryan holds a degree in Business Administration with concentrations in International Management and Accounting from California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo.

Laura Krishnan is the Sr. Policy Advisor to the Deputy Assistant Secretary for the Western Hemisphere at the U.S. Department of Commerce’s International Trade Administration. Over the course of her 10-year career, she has covered the Brazil, Colombia, Panama, and Chile Desks, promoting trade and investment and enforcing U.S. trade laws and trade agreements with these countries. Her work has focused on the promotion of good regulatory practices and the removal and prevention of trade barriers that result from standards and conformity assessment policies or practices. Prior to her time at ITA, Ms. Krishnan worked for a financial consulting firm specializing in energy and renewable energy project finance in developing countries. She also previously worked as an Economic Analyst at the Chilean-American Chamber of Commerce in Santiago, Chile. 

Ms. Krishnan completed her Master of Arts degree in International Trade and Investment Policy at the George Washington University. She graduated from the University of St. Thomas (Minnesota) with a Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration.

Diego Gattesco serves as a Senior International Trade Specialist and Director for the U.S. Commercial Service Wheeling, International Trade Administration within the U.S. Department of Commerce. His main responsibility is to manage the U.S. Export Assistance Center located in Wheeling, WV which provides counseling and a variety of products and services to assist small and midsized U.S. businesses export their products and services.

Diego was also selected in 2012 to lead the U.S. Department of Commerce's Trade Americas Global Team. This program brings together the resources of U.S. Commercial Service offices in 15 countries and State Department sections at U.S. Embassies in 9 additional markets, providing U.S. firms with a single point of access to Western Hemisphere regional trade events, services, and research covering markets throughout the region. The Trade Americas site provides information on the existing and proposed free trade agreements throughout the region, market research, trade event lists, industry-specific information, business service providers, useful links, and key contacts. 

A native of Córdoba, Argentina, Diego has experience in both public and private sector companies, with extensive international sales and representation capabilities, strong organizational and interpersonal skills, broad IT exposure, outstanding business and entrepreneurial orientation. He is a graduate of Wheeling Jesuit University's MBA Leadership program and a Certified Global Business Professional (CGBP).