Congressman Joe Garcia (D-FL) to Keynote Opening Gateways to Foreign Travel Conference at CSIS

WASHINGTON, March 12, 2013– The Center for Strategic & International Studies (CSIS) Homeland Security and Counterterrorism Program is hosting Congressman Joe Garcia (D-FL) and a panel of experts for a discussion of the impacts of inadequate customs staffing and long wait times for travelers as well as potential technological and policy solutions to these challenges. The full agenda appears below.

WHEN/WHERE:
Wednesday, March 13, 2013
9:00 AM - 11:45 AM
B1 Conference Center
CSIS 1800 K St. NW, Washington, DC 20006

Credentialed members of the press who would like to attend must RSVP to aschwartz@csis.org

8:30-9:00AM: Registration

9:05-9:35AM: Keynote Address

Congressman Joe Garcia (D-FL)

9:40-10:40AM: The Impact of Customs Delays on U.S. Competitiveness

Geoff Freeman
Chief Operating Officer and Executive Vice President, U.S. Travel Association

Isabel Hill
Director, Office of Travel and Tourism Industries, U.S. Department of Commerce

Michael Wascom
Managing Director, International and Government Affairs, American Airlines

Moderator:
Rick "Ozzie" Nelson
Vice President for Business Development-Americas, Cross Match Technologies and CSIS Senior Associate

10:45-11:45AM: Policy and Technological Initiatives to Reduce Wait Times

Chris Browne
Vice President and Airport Manager, Washington Dulles International Airport, Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority

Kevin McAleenan
Acting Assistant Commissioner, Office of Field Operations, U.S. Customs and Border Protection

Sharon Pinkerton
Senior Vice President, Legislative and Regulatory Policy, Airlines for America

Moderator:
Marc Frey
Senior Director, Steptoe & Johnson LLP and CSIS Senior Associate
 

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The Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) is a bipartisan, non-profit organization founded in 1962 and headquartered in Washington, D.C.  It seeks to advance global security and prosperity by providing strategic insights and policy solutions to decision makers.