Colleen Clarke, Vice President of Surety for Roanoke Trade Services, Inc., has been appointed to the Advisory Committee on Commercial Operations of Customs and Border Protection (COAC) for her second two-year term. The COAC advises the Secretaries of the Department of Treasury and the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) on the commercial operations of Customs and Border Protection (CBP) and related functions of Treasury and DHS on behalf of industry and trade. Some matters reviewed by COAC include the development of electronic cargo information systems, the streamlining of Customs procedures and other issues related to trade facilitation, cargo security, import safety and revenue protection. In addition to participating in discussions on these broader aspects, Ms. Clarke served on the COAC Bond Subcommittee which primarily focused on coordination with CBP's Revenue Division to ensure efficiency in processing continuous import bonds centrally for the customs brokerage and importing community. She is chair of COAC's bond working group as part of the Trade Facilitation Subcommittee.

CBP also recently selected Ms. Clarke as a Trade Ambassador to represent the Trade Support Network (TSN) for the development of the United States' Automated Customs Environment (ACE). As a Trade Ambassador, Ms. Clarke will represent the trade community to facilitate consensus on ACE business and process redesigns; this is in addition to her serving as chair of the Surety Subcommittee of the TSN. She also represents the National Association of Surety Bond Producers (NASBP) on the Customs Surety Executive Committee (CSEC).

Colleen's career in the customs surety industry spans 23 years beginning with Washington International Insurance Company in claims adjustment, and then underwriting. She then managed Washington International's customs bond audit oversight, including Sarbanes Oxley compliance and directed client relations.

In 2008, Colleen joined Roanoke Trade Services, Inc., the leading customs bond provider in the United States. She is a senior client advocate and trade relations director for Roanoke Trade, and manages its surety agent group.