President Obama nominated Claire Kelly as a judge on the Court of International Trade. Kelly is currently a law professor at the Brooklyn Law School. She also chairs the Court of International Trade Bar Association (CITBA) subcommittee on trade adjustment assistance.
Promotions by Transportation Insight: Chris Baltz to president-CEO and Laura Easley to chief operating officer. Founder Paul Thompson will remain chairman.
Omar Benjamin is retiring as executive director of the Port of Oakland, effective immediately. Acting Executive Director Deborah Ale Flint will continue in that position. The investigation by the port's outside counsel into expense reimbursement practices and policies is continuing. The port has plans to discuss policies and oversight at its regular meeting Nov. 15.
CBP named Pete Flores as the new director of field operations in San Diego. Flores previously was assistant director of border security in the San Diego Field Office
The Airforwarders Associations announced the results of its board of directors election. The 2013-2016 board will include: Chris Connell, President, Commodity Forwarders (Incumbent); Keith Davis, President, Sterling Transportation; Richard Fisher, President, Falcon Global Edge (Incumbent); Sandy Gregory, Director of Regulatory Affairs and Security, AIT; Michelle Halkerston, President, Hassett Air Express; Robert Mauro, President, Team Worldwide; Daniel Stegemoller, Senior Vice President and CEO, Radiant Global Logistics (Incumbent); Michelle Wilkinson, CEO, Tailwind International.
Armando Duarte-Peláez of Colombia's Sociedad Portuaria de Santa Marta becomes chairman of the American Association of Port Authorities. Alejandro Couttolenc, Administración Portuaria Integral de Veracruz, México, is president of the Latin American delegation, and vice chair is Rodolfo Sabonge, Panama Canal Authority. Orlando Forbes, Freeport Harbour Company (Bahamas), is chairman of the Caribbean delegation.
Brandon Fried, executive director of the Airforwarders Association, named to the newly formed U.S. Advisory Committee on Supply Chain Competitiveness. Others include: Anthony Barone, Pfizer Inc.; Leslie T. Blakey, Coalition for America's Gateways and Trade Corridors; Rick D. Blasgen, Council of Supply Chain Management Professionals; Scott Brotemarkle, American Association of Port Authorities; Sean Conlin, Deloitte Consulting; Wayne Darbeau, Port of San Diego; Laurie Hein Denham, American Society of Transportation and Logistics; Jack Faber, Hewlett-Packard; Rick Gabrielson, Target; William Hanson, Great Lakes Dredge & Dock Company; Ricky Kunz, Port of Houston Authority; Corey Rosenbusch, Global Cold Chain Alliance; Cynthia Ruiz, The Port of Los Angeles; Norman T. Schenk, UPS; Elizabeth Shaver, Airlines for America; Christopher S. Smith, American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials; Dean H. Wise, BNSF Railway.