Taylor Budowich, a former White House aide in the second Trump administration, has been appointed to a two-year term on the U.S.-China Economic and Security Review Commission, starting Jan. 1. Leland Miller, an expert on China’s economy, and Jonathan Stivers, a former Democratic congressional aide, were reappointed to two-year terms on the panel.

The Senate confirmed the nomination of Laura DiBella late Dec. 18 to fill a vacancy on the Federal Maritime Commission. The Senate Commerce Committee approved DiBella’s nomination in November (see 2511190051). A second FMC nominee, Robert Harvey, awaits consideration by the committee.

The Senate on Dec. 18 confirmed the nomination of Julie Callahan to serve as chief agricultural negotiator in the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative, and approved Jeffrey Goettman to be deputy USTR for Africa, the Western Hemisphere, Europe, the Middle East, Environment, Labor and Industrial Competitiveness.

Karen Damon will be the new vice president of the National Customs Brokers & Forwarders Association of America, replacing Kristi App, who vacated the position after accepting a job at the Port of New Orleans (see 2512080029), the NCBFAA said in an emailed news release. Leo James will replace Damon as NCBFAA treasurer. Both were elected to their new positions by the NCBFAA board.

Angela Ellard, former deputy director-general of the World Trade Organization, has joined the Center for Strategic and International Studies as a nonresident senior adviser with its Economic Security and Technology Department, the think tank announced Dec. 15. Ellard joined WTO as deputy director-general in 2021 after serving as chief trade counsel for the House Committee on Ways and Means.

Dave Hanke, the staff director of the House Select Committee on China, will start a new role as counsel to committee Chairman John Moolenaar, R-Mich., Hanke announced on LinkedIn. Hanke will begin Jan. 1, and Maseh Zarif, the committee's current director of external affairs, will replace him as staff director.

Vincent Annunziato, director of CBP’s business transformation and innovation division, will retire from the agency at the end of the year, he said on LinkedIn. Annunziato worked at CBP for 29 years, including on ACE and the agency’s more recent global interoperability efforts.

Julie Ann Parks is joining Alba Wheels Up as a “strategic partner” to lead the company’s trade advisory services practice, the company said in a Dec. 8 news release. Parks recently left her job as executive director of global customs in the office of general counsel for RTX (see 2511190022).

Kristi App joined the Port of New Orleans as its chief commercial officer, the port said in a LinkedIn post. App, vice president of the National Customs Brokers & Forwarders Association of America and president of the New Orleans broker association, had been chief operating officer at J.W. Allen.

Danielle Cossey, a staff attorney at the Commerce Department, will leave the agency to join Sidley Austin, Cossey confirmed to us. She joined Commerce in the Office of the Chief Counsel for Trade Enforcement and Compliance in 2023 after graduating from the George Washington University Law School. Cossey will start at Sidley on Dec. 1.