About Us

PARTNERSHIP. PRIDE. PROSPERITY.

At the National Association of Foreign-Trade Zones, we connect global businesses with local communities through the U.S. Foreign-Trade Zone (FTZ) Program. Our membership—which is comprised of public entities, public and private companies and individuals—works together to foster business growth, economic development, and U.S. employment.

FTZ Facts from the 2023 Foreign Trade Zones Board Annual Report (the most recent available)

BILLION
IN MERCHANDISE RECEIVED

U.S. RESIDENTS EMPLOYED

BILLION
IN EXPORTS FROM FTZS

ACTIVE FTZ OPERATIONS NATIONWIDE

Source: 2023 FTZ Board Annual Report

Our Vision

To serve our members and partners as the premier U.S. Foreign-Trade Zones advocacy and educational organization, though public-private partnerships to promote the U.S. Foreign-Trade Zones Program as an economic development tool for job creation and investment.

Our Mission

The National Association of Foreign-Trade Zones (NAFTZ), an association of public and private members, is the collective voice of the U.S. Foreign-Trade Zones Program. The NAFTZ is the Program’s principal educator and the leader in demonstrating the program’s value and role in the changing environment of international trade. NAFTZ is instrumental in supporting economic development objectives and global competitiveness of its members by providing a forum for disseminating relevant information, and advocacy support on international trade issues.

What We've Achieved Together

The FTZ program continues to set new milestones.

View Our Milestones

Our Leadership

Our Board of Directors is a distinguished group of volunteers who bring experience, diversity, and passion in trade. Our members elect the Board to provide strategic direction to the Association. Board members also serve as ambassadors for the Association.

Over the years, the NAFTZ has been privileged to extend honorary life memberships to individuals who have had a significant impact on the FTZ community. Honorary Life Members are elected by the recommendation of the Board of Directors and a majority vote of the members present at the Annual Business meeting. These individuals have served the NAFTZ in the capacity of a Director and Officer for a minimum of four terms; provided exceptional leadership for the NAFTZ; and although retired from the NAFTZ Board of Directors they have remained active participants and contributors to the NAFTZ.

NAFTZ also acknowledges and offers profound gratitude for the selfless service of the Past Chairpersons of the Association.

View Past Association Chairs

Honorary Life Members are elected by the Board of Directors. These individuals have served the NAFTZ in the capacity of a Director and Officer for a minimum of eight (8) years; provided exceptional leadership; and remain active participants and contributors to the NAFTZ.

VIEW HONORARY Life Members

Our Bylaws outline the basic purpose of NAFTZ, lists basic policies of NAFTZ, and provides a structure for how the Association is set up.

Read Our Bylaws

About Our Team

Board Members

James Grogan, Chair

Managing Director // FTI Consulting Inc.

James Grogan is a global trade practitioner with substantial experience in the areas of Foreign Trade Zones (FTZ), duty and tariff mitigation strategies, general U.S. customs compliance and global trade function assessments. He provides regulatory and strategic guidance to small companies, complex multinational corporations, and local government entities.

Mr. Grogan assists his clients in all aspects of the FTZ program, including preparing strategic feasibility analyses, managing all federal and local implementation steps, conducting customized training, developing inventory control and operational procedures, responding to government agency inquiries, and building compliance programs. For grantees and economic development groups, he has built and executed tailored marketing plans designed to drive increased FTZ utilization in those regions.

Mr. Grogan has built a strong reputation in the FTZ community through his involvement with the NAFTZ. Since 2015, he has served on the Board of Directors, and currently serves as an Officer within the Executive Committee. He has also chaired several committees, working groups and task forces for the association. His network of professional relationships includes many operators/users, grantees, service provider colleagues and officials within the FTZ Board and CBP.

In addition to his FTZ expertise, Mr. Grogan works with companies to evaluate and periodically review their participation in other CBP partnership programs, including CTPAT, the Importer Self-Assessment (ISA) program (i.e., CTPAT Trade Compliance), and other AEO-modeled voluntary programs. He has designed testing processes for these programs and assisted companies navigate periodic reviews from the customs authorities.

Mr. Grogan also has unique experience assisting companies examine the structure and effectiveness of their global trade function. Whether through an internal audit lens or through the trade group directly, he has helped companies conduct reviews into the structure, location and success of a company’s trade-related personnel, procedures, and technology. These customized reviews typically generate escalation procedures, identify inherent risks and savings opportunities, and benchmark against global leading practices.

James graduated with honors from Saint Louis University where he received a B.A. in Economics, Spanish and International Studies. He is also a licensed US Customs Broker and Accredited Zones Specialist (AZS).

Eric Berry, Vice-Chair

Director of Trade Services // Copper Hill

Eric Berry is the Director of Consulting Services at Copper Hill, where he oversees a variety of programs, applying his extensive knowledge of program management and a strategic approach to lead and nurture his team. A Licensed Customs Broker, he specializes in foreign-trade zone consulting, aiming for excellence in compliance and operational efficiency. His expertise includes conducting foreign-trade zone feasibility analyses, compliance audits, prior disclosures, creating and refining procedure manuals, managing FTZ activation and CBP security surveys, and overseeing other zone-related studies and project management. Additionally, he manages the daily operations of foreign-trade zones, handling FTZ admissions, transfers, adjustments, and shipments, along with systems reviews, reconciliation, and resolving issues. Besides being a Licensed Customs Broker, Eric is an Accredited Zone Specialist, an active member of the NAFTZ, and presently the Treasurer on the NAFTZ Board of Directors.

Katie Tangman, Treasurer

Director of Global Customs and Trade // Columbia Sportswear Company

Katie Tangman is the Director of Global Customs and Trade at Columbia Sportswear Company leading a team of experts in apparel and footwear classification, trade agreement qualification and claims, global trade systems, broker management, and duty optimization programs including tariff engineering, first sale for export, Foreign Trade Zone in the US, and bonded warehouse in the EU. Prior to joining Columbia Katie was a managing partner and Director of Strategic Resources Development for a regional International Customs Brokerage and Freight Forwarding company focusing compliance, strategic planning and business and product development.

Patricia Cannon, Secretary

Director of Special Projects // State of Delaware’s Department of State

Patricia A Cannon, MSM, AZS: Patty is the Director of Special Projects and FTZ #99 Grantee Administrator within the State of Delaware’s Department of State. She graduated with honors with a BS in Business Management and earned a Master of Science in Management from Wilmington University. Previously, Patty served as the Executive Director of Delaware’s Workforce Investment Board and the Director of Advocacy for the American Heart Association, serving the State of Delaware and Southeastern, Pennsylvania.

Patty relies heavily on the relationships and knowledge base that is available through NAFTZ, attending and participating in as many networking and educational events as possible. She serves on the Grantee committee, Program Committee and the Advocacy Committee. Patty is proud to have earned the Accredited Zone Specialist (AZS) designation through her work with NAFTZ. As a new member of the NAFTZ Board of Directors, she will work to be a voice for Grantees as well as the Operators and Users that depend on the benefits of the Foreign Trade Zone Act to promote safe and fair international trade that further supports positive economic impact across the US. Collectively, “The NAFTZ advocates for the practical application of international trade policies and regulations to achieve maximum simplicity and effectiveness for the FTZ community.”[1]

[1] https://naftz.org/get-involved/advocacy/

Robert Balli, Director

Torrey Chambliss, Director

Director for Foreign-Trade Zone and Cargo Business Development // Port Tampa Bay

Torrey Chambliss is the Director for Foreign-Trade Zone (FTZ) and Cargo Business Development at Port Tampa Bay. His responsibilities include management and development of the Tampa Bay/I-4 Corridor FTZ project and increasing the total amount and diversifying type of cargo moving through Port Tampa Bay and the Tampa Bay/I-4 Corridor Region.

Before working at Port Tampa Bay, Mr. Chambliss worked for the Tampa Bay Economic Development Council as its principal Research Analyst investigating key macro-economic indicators that affected the Tampa Bay business community and conducting confidential research for companies looking to establish and/or expand their presence in the Tampa Bay market.

Prior to moving to Tampa, Florida, Mr. Chambliss worked as a consultant at the American Chamber of Commerce in Mexico City, Mexico and as a consultant for the United States Department of State’s International Visitor Leadership Program in Washington DC. In addition, he worked as a representative staffer in the U.S. House of Representatives.

Mr. Chambliss earned an MBA from the Mexican Autonomous Institute of Technology (Mexico City, Mexico) and obtained both an MA in International Relations and a BA in Sociology from Eastern Illinois University (Illinois, USA).

Mr. Chambliss currently serves as a member of the board of directors for the National Association of Foreign-Trade Zones (NAFTZ) and the Florida Custom Brokers & Forwarders Association (FCBF), and the Organization of Women in International Trade (OWIT).

Mr. Chambliss is a U.S. licensed customs broker, a NAFTZ Accredited Zone Specialist, and fluent in Spanish.

“I wanted to become more involved in the development of the FTZ program. I knew that the combined voice of the NAFTZ Board of Directors is the most influential voice in the FTZ industry.”

Ileana Klepeisz, Director

I currently serve on several committees including the Operator Committee, Social Media Committee and Advocacy Committee. I have 25 years of combined experience between Foreign Tade Zone, Inventory Control, Operations and Warehousing. With this experience I have been able to significantly reduce inventory discrepancies, increase cost savings and develop efficient processes. With my diversified experience I can bring valuable insights to the NAFTZ.

Sean Lydon, Director

President // ISCM, Inc.

With a distinguished track record of service within NAFTZ, Sean Lydon has not only chaired but actively contributed to several key committees, including the Program Committee, Advocacy Committee, and Membership Committee. Currently serving as President of ISCM, which he founded in 2011, Mr. Lydon has experience successfully passing legislation in the U.S. Congress, and has secured favorable U.S. Customs rulings. His extensive experience in trade, advocacy, and business operations uniquely positions him to guide the NAFTZ towards continued success.

Sarah Messeih, Director

Sarah is a Senior Manager in KPMG’s Trade & Customs practice based out of San Diego, where she assists companies with all aspects of international trade compliance, including implementation and review of duty savings programs (such as First Sale For Export, Foreign-Trade Zones (FTZ), and Duty drawback), review of global trade compliance programs, application and annual review of Customs-Trade Partnership against Terrorism (CTPAT) programs. Sarah specializes in FTZ consulting and helps companies with all areas of FTZ management, including: FTZ feasibility and readiness assessments, working with the Grantee and FTZ Board to preparing applications for designation, working with local U.S. Customs and Border Protection on FTZ activation, FTZ Inventory Control and Recordkeeping System (ICRS) implementation and FTZ administration/managed services. Sarah also helps companies with compliance audits and systems health checks of FTZ operations and systems. Prior to joining KPMG, Sarah worked for a leading global trade management (GTM) solution provider, focusing on areas of duty deferral programs such as FTZ and duty drawback, import management and classification. Sarah’s technical and operational experience allows her to assist companies in understanding global processes and implementing end-to-end solutions to effectively manage global trade.

Sarah has been a member of NAFTZ for over 10 years, and notably over the past year served as the Chair for the Accreditation committee. Sarah graduated from the University of South Carolina with B.A. degrees in Accounting and Global Supply Chain and Operations Management. Sarah is a Licensed Customs Broker (LCB), Accredited Zone Specialist (AZS), and Certified Zone Specialist (CZS).

David Sikkink, Director

Christopher Smith, Director

Trade Advisor // IKEA Purchasing Services (US) Inc.

Christopher Smith is a trade advisor in the Customs Coordination Center, North America for IKEA Purchasing Services (US) Inc. He received a B.S. degree in Criminal Justice from the State University of New York College at Brockport in 1996 and obtained his Customs Brokers License in 1998. From 1992 to 2006 Mr. Smith worked for Eastman Kodak Company in warehouse and logistics primarily as an Import Compliance Specialist. In his current position with IKEA his responsibilities include establishing and maintaining corporate compliance with all US Customs and other Government agency regulations, assist in communicating compliance requirements globally in the IKEA organization, develop and manage Customs related projects for North America.

“Concerns over the PGA integration into ACE and how it could affect our zone, was the main reason for rejoining NAFTZ. Since joining NAFTZ has given me great opportunities for professional growth. Being a member on the User/Operator committee, participating on a number of different working groups, to being a speaker at conferences have all come from being a member of the association. After being encouraged by two board members who I respect and admire, Rebecca Williams and Cornelia Steinert, I am now been given this chance to continue to grow while serving on the Board for the organization which has given me so much as a member.”

Leigh Ryan, Director

Vice President | World Trade Center Savannah

Leigh Ryan has taken World Trade Center Savannah full steam ahead, managing trade services and kicking off the organization's college internship program. As vice president, she works with World Trade Center Savannah partners to assist in the development and success of the international strategies of their companies or of their clients. This covers importing and exporting, customs research, expanding markets, identifying buyers, sellers and distributers as well as international connections and business match making. Ryan is also responsible for Foreign-Trade Zone 104, working with established foreign trade zone site and sub-zone operators as well as promoting the benefits for FTZ to the region. She has been instrumental in developing the tools needed to communicate the mission and benefits of the organization to the region and the world.

Diana Urelius, Director

Senior Manager | Mitsubishi Logisnext Americas Inc.

Diana Urelius has 25 years of diverse international trade experience. Ms. Urelius has developed and implemented successful trade compliance programs resulting in tens of millions of dollars in savings for her current employer. She is responsible for leading and designing Trade Compliance activities for Mitsubishi Logisnext Americas Inc., a global material handling equipment manufacturer, and its group companies. Ms. Urelius is a licensed U.S. Customs Broker, Accredited Zones Specialist and Certified Compliance and Ethics Professional.

Diana received her Juris Doctor degree from Southern Methodist University School of Law in Dallas, Texas and earned her Bachelor of Arts degree from St. Mary’s University in San Antonio, Texas. She studied international law at the Universidad CEU San Pablo in Madrid, Spain.

Ms. Urelius was recently appointed by the U.S. Secretary of Commerce to serve as a member of the Houston District Export Council and is a member of the Board of Directors of the Houston Committee on Foreign Relations. She is a member of the National Association of Manufacturers and the Chair of the National Association of Foreign-Trade Zones (NAFTZ) Accreditation Committee. She is a frequent speaker on international trade topics.

Denise Yanez Director

Economic Development Program Manager // City of Phoenix FTZ No. 75

Denise Yanez is an Economic Development Program Manager in the Community and Economic Development Department focusing on business attraction and is the Foreign-Trade Zone Administrator for the City of Phoenix FTZ No. 75, which services three large counties. Denise has worked with the FTZ program for more than 15 years and currently manages contracts for 26 FTZ operators.

Denise has worked for the City of Phoenix for over 25 years in various departments with experience in economic development, redevelopment, residential real estate, property management, property maintenance and zoning enforcement, and small business development. She has a B.S. in General Business from Arizona State University, is an Accredited Zone Specialist by the National Association of Foreign-Trade Zones (NAFTZ), serves on the NAFTZ Board of Directors, and is a member of the NAFTZ Grantee and Membership Committees.

Miguel Zamora, Director

Vice President // Louisville Riverport Authority (FTZ #29)

Miguel A. Zamora II, Vice President of the Louisville Riverport Authority (FTZ #29), is a Supply Chain and Logistics professional who partners with CEOs, executives, and entrepreneurs to find cost effective solutions to their supply chain challenges.

Miguel knows that a customer focused approach to supply chain planning is the key to a profitable and efficient organization. He has spent over two decades working with manufacturing and distribution companies ranging from tier one automotive, white goods, consumer and industrial electronics and retail distribution firms to plan and execute a host of internal and external supply chain solutions that eliminate cost & time adders that do not provide value to the customer. His experience includes establishing and managing 3PL operations that included FTZ zone operations Having recently joined the Louisville Riverport Authority, Miguel has taken the lead on the promotion and administration of Foreign Trade Zone #29, for which the Louisville Riverport Authority is the Grantee. The FTZ program can provide a variety of import savings and compliance benefits to firms involved in all forms of international trade.

Shannon Fura, Immediate Past Chair

Partner // Page Fura, P.C.

Ms. Fura brings 20 years of experience to her representation of clients in the international arena. Her counseling in the import area includes representing companies before U.S. Customs & Border Protection and other impacted federal agencies in Focused Assessments and other reviews of their import operations. In furtherance to that representation, Ms. Fura works with clients in the establishment, enhancement and monitoring of compliance programs, and provides counsel on a myriad of specific issues including transfer pricing and customs valuation, tariff classification, country of origin determinations and marking requirements, tariff preference program/free trade agreement eligibility, trade relief and remedies, foreign-trade zones and duty drawback, and customs enforcement matters, including civil penalty actions, investigations, seizures and liquidated damages cases. Ms. Fura also actively represents companies in the area of border/supply chain security including developing and evaluating program qualifications under the Customs-Trade Partnership Against Terrorism/WCO SAFE Framework. In addition, Ms. Fura is also a member of the Legal/Policy Committee of the Trade Support Network (TSN).

In the export arena, Ms. Fura brings her extensive knowledge of the intricacies of U.S. export control laws to her representation of companies. Her work in this area extends to representation before the Bureau of Industry & Security, the Directorate of Defense Trade Controls, the Office of Foreign Assets Control and the Bureau of the Census, and includes the development of comprehensive Export Management Systems as well as performing self-assessments of companies’ existing export compliance programs and policies. Besides conducting comprehensive reviews/program development, Ms. Fura also provides advocacy for clients on individual commodity jurisdiction requests, export license applications, Technical Assistance Agreements/Manufacturing License Agreements, and deemed export and re-export controls and compliance. She also, where necessary, counsels clients on the submission of voluntary self-disclosures and issues of export enforcement.

Ms. Fura obtained her Juris Doctor from IIT/Chicago-Kent College of Law, and has a M.A. in International Transactions from George Mason University. She is admitted to practice law in the State of Illinois and before the U.S. Court of International Trade, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit, and the U.S. District, Northern District of Illinois, and is a Licensed Customs Broker.

Trey Boring, Parlementarian

Mr. Trey Boring is the President of IMS Worldwide, Inc. (IMSW). He is the leader of the IMSW Foreign-Trade Zone (FTZ) practice and works with clients to assist them in developing and implementing systems pursuant to the activation and establishment of their FTZs. Mr. Boring has completed more than 120 FTZ projects for IMSW clients. He has prepared and revised operation/procedures manuals, security manuals and ISO procedures for clients activating and operating their Zone.

Mr. Boring’s position with IMSW makes him responsible for developing new business and consulting with clients on the systems they utilize in the operations of their FTZs. Mr. Boring has experience working with projects in regulatory compliance, manufacturing and warehouse management. He has worked with clients on their recordkeeping and inventory control systems, to ensure that those systems meet the guidelines put forth in federal regulations.

He has a Master’s of Business Administration degree, has served on the Board of two corporations, currently Vice Chairman of a 501C3 and is a former Chairman of the National Association of Foreign-Trade Zones.

Staff

Jeffrey Tafel, President

President // NAFTZ

jtafel@naftz.org
202-331-1950 x226

Jeffrey J. Tafel, CAE, is the President of NAFTZ. He is a member and mission-focused non-profit professional with nearly 30 years of association senior management experience and specializes in developing and executing strategy.

Previously, Jeff served as the CEO of the Home Builders Association of Western Michigan where he worked closely with the Board of Directors and oversaw the entire organization, it’s programs and initiatives. Serving Kalamazoo and the six surrounding counties (including the cities of Kalamazoo, Battle Creek, Three Rivers, Coldwater, Albion, Hastings, South Haven and Allegan), the HBA serves and represents the entire residential construction and remodeling community.

Prior to HBA, Jeff served as the Executive Director of the IFMA (International Facility Management Association) Foundation where he led the organization out of near extinction to become a relevant, self-sustaining entity. He was responsible for creation of the IFMA Foundation’s Global Workforce Initiative to encourage Facility Management as a career of choice. He also served the members of IFMA as director of membership and councils where he worked with the more than 130 chapters and special interest groups of IFMA around the world helping local volunteer boards to implement successful strategic plans and best practices to increase member value.

In his volunteer life, he’s served on the board of directors of the Association Foundation Group, the Texas Society of Association Executives, Houston Society of Association Executives and was an active volunteer for the Council of Engineering and Scientific Society Executives. He holds the Certified Association Executive credential from the American Society of Association Executives and a bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering from Michigan Technological University. In other words, he’s an association geek.

He is married with three sons living in Portage, MI, enjoys time with family and their 3 dogs, is an avid road and mountain bicyclist and self-proclaimed ‘foodie’.

Victoria Cartwright, CMP, Vice President of Events and Education

Vice President of Events and Education // NAFTZ

vcartwright@naftz.org
202-331-1950 x225

Victoria Cartwright, is the Vice President of Events and Education at the National Association of Foreign-Trade Zones (NAFTZ) and handles all educational program development initiatives. She joined the Association as the Meeting Planner in August 2011.

Victoria is originally from Tennessee and has a B.A. in Communication with a double concentration in Public Relations and Organizational Communication and a minor in European Marketing from the University of Antwerp and James Madison University.

Kristine Wells, Senior Manager of Communications & Member Services

Senior Manager of Communications & Member Services // NAFTZ

kwells@naftz.org
202-331-1950 x224

Kristine Wells is the Senior Manager of Communications & Member Services at the National Association of Foreign-Trade Zones.

Kristine works closely with the Membership Committee, Social Media Task Force, and the Accredited Zones Specialist Committee – working to enhance the membership experience, engage with the FTZ community on social media, and review applications for those seeking the AZS designation. Though she wears many hats, Kristine’s commitment to engaging with the members and expanding NAFTZ’s member reach is her number one priority.

Prior to joining NAFTZ in July 2021, Kristine served as the Manager of Member Services & Marketing at the International Communication Association (ICA), where she was employed for six years. Kristine holds a bachelor’s degree in psychology from the Pennsylvania State University and a master’s degree in strategic communication from American University.

When she is not conjuring up ideas for the next big project, Kristine spends her time off exploring historical landmarks, hiking, and spending quality time with her two girls Haven and Storm, her beloved cats.

Melissa Irmen, Director of Advocacy and Strategic Relations

Director of Advocacy and Strategic Relations // NAFTZ

mirmen@naftz.org
202-331-1950 x223

Melissa Irmen joined the National Association of Foreign-Trade Zones (NAFTZ) to execute the association’s advocacy vision plan, sponsorship development, specialized membership initiatives, and other program management. Melissa plays a pivotal role in building strategic partnerships and enhancing the membership experience while driving impactful change within the FTZ community.

Melissa has over 20 years of experience in the Foreign-Trade Zone (FTZ) industry, most recently as Senior Vice President at ISCM, Inc., a Washington, DC based consulting firm helping companies with FTZ applications, setup, technology, and regulatory agency insight. Melissa is an Accredited Zone Specialist and served as Chair on the Board of Directors for the NAFTZ. Melissa is an active participant in various international trade initiatives and organizations and speaks regularly on global trade topics. She provides technology and trade expertise to many CBP working groups, including, most recently, one focused on utilizing Emerging Technologies.