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Committees

NAFTZ’s strongest asset is its membership and our member’s willingness to share skills, knowledge, and expertise. Putting that talent into action by serving on a committee is your first step to an active role in NAFTZ.

We encourage all active Grantees, Operators/Users, and Service Provider members to serve on a Committee. Serving on a committee provides tremendous benefits including personal growth, professional development, building industry contacts and developing relationships, and the chance to influence our policy development and public outreach.

 

Join a Committee

Listed below are the committees members can serve on:

Educational Committees

Accreditation Committee

PURPOSE

The Accreditation Committee provides strategic oversight of NAFTZ’s professional education and credentialing programs; Certified Zone Specialist (CZS) and Advanced Zone Specialist (AZS). The Committee works to ensure that courses, credentials, and continuing education opportunities remain rigorous, relevant, accessible, and responsive to the evolving needs of the foreign-trade zone community. Its work is supported by three specialized subcommittees focused on program content and instruction, the Advanced Zone Specialist credential, and third-party continuing education.

Fundamentals Content and Instructor Development Subcommittee

The Fundamentals Content and Instructor Development Subcommittee strengthens the consistency, practical value, instructional quality, and long-term sustainability of NAFTZ’s Fundamentals of Foreign-Trade Zones program. The Subcommittee reviews course content and delivery, identifies opportunities to incorporate practical examples and case studies, and helps establish clear learning outcomes. It also supports the recruitment, preparation, evaluation, and ongoing development of qualified instructors, including the creation of a Train-the-Trainer program.

AZS Strategic Review and Qualifications Subcommittee

The AZS Strategic Review and Qualifications Subcommittee leads a comprehensive review of the Advanced Zone Specialist credential to ensure it remains credible, relevant, and sustainable. The Subcommittee evaluates the credential’s purpose, competencies, eligibility requirements, assessment pathways, governance, and quality-assurance processes. Its work includes developing a shared core of advanced FTZ knowledge with specialized pathways for Grantees and FTZ Administration and Operations professionals.

Third-Party Continuing Education Approval Subcommittee

The Third-Party Continuing Education Approval Subcommittee develops standards and procedures for approving qualifying third-party education for Certified Zone Specialist and Advanced Zone Specialist continuing education credit. The Subcommittee works to create a program that is fair, credible, user-friendly, and administratively practical. Its responsibilities include establishing eligibility and credit-calculation standards, application and review procedures, provider and credential-holder requirements, quality controls, and processes for appeals and enforcement.

Membership Committee

PURPOSE

The purpose of the Membership Committee is to facilitate NAFTZ member expansion by identifying and supporting opportunities for NAFTZ organizational growth.  We advocate for professionals part of the association to increase member awareness and promote association resources.

PROJECT/ACTIVITIES FOR 2025

  • Pursue 2025 Membership Count Goals
  • Partner with other NAFTZ Committees as necessary
  • Develop Customized Outreach for Memberships
  • Revamping of the Mentorship Program
  • Social Promotions
  • Communicate recommendations on Membership Categories as requested

MEETING FREQUENCY

  • The Membership Committee meets via conference call monthly.
  • Meetings organized by committee co-chairs with conference number and passcode
  • Co-chairs create agenda from previous month topics and initiatives
  • Co-chairs take meeting minutes and facilitates / sends follow up as necessary
Program Committee

PURPOSE

The goals of the NAFTZ Program Committee are to organize, schedule, and promote the association’s various conferences and events, including Fundamentals, the Legislative Summit, the Spring Seminar, and the Annual Conference. The committee also facilitates educational webinars throughout the year through its webinar subcommittee. Program Committee members select the trade and government representatives that the FTZ community needs to hear from based on current and future trends in the industry. We always welcome new members ready to roll up their sleeves and add new ideas to continue to make NAFTZ’s events a tremendous success for our members. The committee typically meets every other week for a one-hour conference call.

Social Media Task Force

PURPOSE

The purpose of the Social Media Task Force is to develop outreach campaigns using social media platforms to increase interest of the FTZ program and engagement with current and potential members.

We are looking for members that will become designated Social Media Ambassadors for multiple events throughout the year. Ambassadors do not need to be part of the Task Force, but are expected to post on social media for various campaigns and the events NAFTZ hosts.

FTZ Industry Committees

Automation Committee

PURPOSE

The Automation Committee is committed to understanding the impact of ACE and all CBP system updates on the NAFTZ members and their business. The Automation Committee also provides tools and communication to the association when CBP updates systems or regulations that will impact the members daily processing. Examples of tools provided to the association by the Automation Committee include the e214 Handbook published to members on the NAFTZ website and the e214 Issues list provided to NAFTZ board to help voice issues and concerns of members related to the e214 process as CBP updates to the ACE system.

MEETING FREQUENCY

The Automation Committee meets regularly on the the 2nd Tuesday of every month to review open issues. If a new CATAIR’s or CBP issues arises between calls, the Automation Committee will have a call in between our standing call to ensure we are providing timely feedback to the NAFTZ board on open issues.

Sign Up for the Automation Committee & One of it's Working Groups:

1. CBP Correspondence - Working Group
Focus on questions and coordination related to CBP and CPSC data
2. Manufactured Goods in Zone - Working Group
Seeking insights from manufacturing zone users:
3. Practical Guidance / Best Practices for the Larger NAFTZ Community - Working Group
To sign up for one or more of these sub-groups, click here: https://members.naftz.org/form/Fill/P7MxDuNr
Grantee Community

“Joining the Grantee Community is a great way to gain a better understanding of Zones nationwide and the overall direction of the industry. It also lets you network with other Grantees to help support and grow their Zone Project area.”

PURPOSE

The Grantee Community serves to bring together FTZ Grantees to optimize their Foreign Trade Zone and to further their professional development. Grantees are a specialized group of members who oversee the development of zones in their Project Area. Each zone is different in their composition and operation, and each face different challenges. This committee also focuses on supporting and developing each Grantee to help grow and facilitate their Project Area. It is also an advocacy group to help promote FTZs through marketing initiatives/suggestions, help navigate regulatory and compliance issues, and expand program knowledge. Members of the Grantee Community share best practices in operations, marketing, events, and training.

The networking opportunities of this committee help Grantees in their professional development and provides contacts throughout the country. Grantees also have the unique opportunity to share questions amongst the committee on regulations and issues to improve their knowledge and optimize their operations.

Grantees share ideas on events they can host in their service area and on marketing techniques they can use in growing their client base in their zones. The Grantee Community hosts the Catherine Durda Marketing Award each year to promote best practices in marketing the FTZ program by Grantees.

Meeting Frequency

The Grantee Community meets monthly. The community is only open to active Grantee members.

Operator/User Community

PURPOSE

The NAFTZ Operators & Users Community was established as a forum for NAFTZ operators and users in foreign-trade zones. The committee identifies issues that will impact FTZ operations and refers them to the NAFTZ board. NAFTZ Members are welcome to approach the Community with issue(s) they would like to have addressed. Although the Community cannot provide advice, they will review suggestions and forward to the NAFTZ Board.

MEETING FREQUENCY

The Operator/User Community meets every 3rd Thursday of the month by conference call for 60 minutes.

Petroleum Committee

PURPOSE

The purpose of the Petroleum Committee is to act as a point of contact for members of the petroleum/petrochemical community for any FTZ matters.  Petroleum FTZ operations are very specific to the industry and this committee acts as a resource for those specific requirements. The Committee provides FTZ information relating to current trends and industry issues for its members, as well as communicating questions/concerns to regulatory agencies, as needed, of behalf of the industry.

Chair responsibilities includes hosting scheduled committee meetings, maintaining to do list of action items determined from meetings, ensuring action items are completed, point of contact for NAFTZ inquiries, point of contact for committee inquiries, and organizing/planning schedule/topics/speakers for annual NAFTZ conference petroleum track.

Vice Chair – Assist the Chair with all tasks.

Projects the committee has worked on includes providing CBP with feedback on the rewrite of subpart H of 146 of the regulations. Most petroleum project initiatives are handled through API unless specific to Foreign Trade Zones.

Policy and Advocacy Committees

Advocacy Working Groups

BACKGROUND

NAFTZ members have an interest in a variety of topics and areas of advocacy for the FTZ program.  Part of the association's 5-year Advocacy vision implementation plan established working groups to focus on certain advocacy issues.  By dividing up the issues into these focused groups, the association is better positioned to move multiple advocacy issues forward simultaneously.  The advocacy working groups are :

  • MANUFACTURING WORKING GROUP - Are you interested in USMCA parity for FTZs, or ensuring fair treatment of FTZ when trade remedy tariffs are suspended/lowered?  These are examples of topics affecting the transformation of inputs to create a semi-/ finished commodity addressed by this working group.
  • DISTRIBUTION WORKING GROUP - Focused on topics affecting a finished component admitted into a zone, this working group advocates for the ability for FTZs to utilize 321/de minimis entry, for example.
  • ZONE OPERATIONS WORKING GROUP - Have you been impacted by CBP’s refusal to allow goods suspected of forced labor to be stored in FTZs or by ACE programming limitations? Topics such as these that affect adjustments/changes in U.S. trade policy and U.S. regulatory framework are the primary focus of this working group.
  • PETROLEUM/ENERGY WORKING GROUP - Join this working group focused on topics affecting the energy sector of the economy to help us make a case for duty drawback parity or new renewable energy opportunities in FTZs.
  • FTZ AWARENESS WORKING GROUP - Would you be willing to help with overall FTZ education for policy makers, to influence CBP resource allocation and ensure FTZs are not inadvertently impacted by federal policy and funding decisions?  Then this working group addressing the overall awareness and competitiveness of the FTZ program is for you.  

PURPOSE

The NAFTZ Advocacy Committee works to

  1. Develop, manage, and define goals of the overarching advocacy strategy of the NAFTZ
  2. Establish a grassroots initiative that supports the overarching advocacy strategy and executes individual projects to attain the defined goals

MEETING FREQUENCY

Each working group meets at their own frequency and schedule needed to address the advocacy topics assigned.  

Professional Development Group

Emerging Leaders in Trade Excellence

The Emerging Leaders in Trade Excellence (ELITE) group will serve as a dedicated space for emerging leaders, early career and young professionals within the FTZ industry. By fostering a supportive environment, the committee will amplify the voices of the next generation of leaders, providing them with the tools and opportunities they need to succeed.

The group specifically targets professionals more junior in their careers. Our goals currently include:

  • Introduce New Content/Programs: Present topics at NAFTZ major events and monthly webinars that are particularly of interest to emerging leaders of the FTZ industry
  • Pathways: Provide pathways for young professionals to moderate at NAFTZ events
  • Networking: Provide a space for young professionals to meet and discuss their insights, challenges, and ideas for NAFTZ's future.
  • Engagement and Retention: Discuss ways to engage with young professionals at NAFTZ to ensure renewal of their membership and commitment to the organization.

and much more.

Questions? For more information, please contact Kristine Wells