2017-26897. Advisory Committee on Supply Chain Competitiveness Solicitation of Nominations for Membership

AGENCY:

International Trade Administration, U.S. Department of Commerce.

ACTION:

Notice of an opportunity to apply for membership on the Advisory Committee on Supply Chain Competitiveness.

SUMMARY:

The Department of Commerce, International Trade Administration (ITA), is requesting nominations for the Advisory Committee on Supply Chain Competitiveness (“The Committee”). The Committee was established under the Federal Advisory Committee Act. The Committee was first chartered on November 21, 2011, and subsequently renewed on November 20, 2013, and November 17, 2015. The Department of Commerce most recently renewed the Committee for another two-year term beginning on November 16, 2017. The Committee has functioned effectively, and the Department has an on-going need for consensus advice regarding U.S. supply chain competitiveness. The Committee advises the Secretary on the necessary elements of a comprehensive policy approach to supply chain competitiveness designed to support U.S. export growth and national economic competitiveness, encourage innovation, facilitate the movement of goods, and improve the competitiveness of U.S. supply chains for goods and services in the domestic and global economy; and provides advice to the Secretary on regulatory policies and programs and investment priorities that affect the competitiveness of U.S. supply chains. The Department is seeking nominations for the newly-rechartered Committee.

DATES:

Applications for immediate consideration for appointment must be received on or before 5:00 p.m. EDT on January 12, 2018. After that date, the Department of Commerce will continue to accept applications to fill any vacancies that may arise during the charter period.

ADDRESSES:

Richard Boll, Office of Supply Chain, Professional & Business Services, Room 11014, U.S. Department of Commerce, 1401 Constitution Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20230; phone [phone]; email: [e-mail].

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Richard Boll, Office of Supply Chain, Professional & Business Services, Room 11014, U.S. Department of Commerce, 1401 Constitution Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20230; phone [phone]; email: [e-mail]. Please visit the Advisory Committee on Supply Chain Competitiveness website at: http://trade.gov/​td/​services/​oscpb/​supplychain/​acscc/​.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

The Committee has a maximum of 45 members. The Department of Commerce is seeking nominations for immediate consideration to fill positions on the Committee for the 2017-2019 charter term, and will continue to accept nominations under this notice on an on-going basis for two-years for consideration to fill vacancies that may arise during the charter term. Member appointment terms run for two-years concurrently with the Committee charter. Members will be selected based upon their ability to advise the Secretary of Commerce on the necessary elements of a comprehensive policy approach to supply chain competitiveness designed to support U.S. export growth and national economic competitiveness, encourage innovation, facilitate the movement of goods, and improve the competitiveness of U.S. supply chains for goods and services in the domestic and global economy; and to provide advice to the Secretary on regulatory policies and programs and investment priorities that affect the competitiveness of U.S. supply chains. The Committee provides detailed policy and technical advice, information, and recommendations to the Secretary regarding:

(1) National, state, or local factors in trade programs and policies that affect the efficient domestic and international operation and competitiveness of U.S. global supply chains from point of origin to destination;

(2) elements of national policies affecting the movement of goods, infrastructure, investment, and regulatory factors that affect supply chain competitiveness and sustainability; and

(3) information and data systems to generate metrics that can be used to quantify and improve supply chain performance.

Members shall be selected in a manner that ensures that the Committee remains balanced in terms of product and service lines and reflects the diversity of the supply chain sector, including in terms of geographic location and company size.

Members of the Committee shall represent companies, organizations, and stakeholders involved in the U.S. supply chain, with at least one individual representing each of the following: Supply chain firms or their associations; users of supply chains (e.g., retailers, distributors, manufacturers or other sectors); freight transportation providers; ports; and academia. Based on the balance of viewpoints currently represented on the Committee, representatives from the rail, trucking, airport, energy, logistics and freight forwarding, infrastructure financing, and big data analysis sectors are encouraged to apply.

Other than the experts from academia, all members shall serve in a representative capacity, expressing the views and interests of a U.S. company or U.S. organization, as well as its particular sector. Members serving in such a representative capacity are not Special Government Employees. The members from academia serve as experts and therefore are Special Government Employees (SGEs) and shall be subject to the ethical standards applicable to SGEs. Members who serve as SGEs must certify that they are not Federally-registered lobbyists.

Each member of the Committee must be a U.S. citizen and not registered as a foreign agent under the Foreign Agents Registration Act. All appointments are made without regard to political affiliation. Self-nominations will be accepted.

Members of the Committee will not be compensated for their services or reimbursed for their travel expenses. The Committee shall meet approximately quarterly, or as determined by the DFO.

Members shall serve at the pleasure of the Secretary.

All nominations for membership on the Committee should provide the following information:

(1) Name, title, and relevant contact information (including phone, fax, and email address) of the individual requesting consideration; and

(2) An affirmative statement that the applicant is not required to register as a foreign agent under the Foreign Agents Registration Act of 1938.

In addition to the above requirements for all nominations, nominations for representatives of companies, organizations, and stakeholders involved in the U.S. supply chain, including supply chain firms or their associations; users of supply chains (e.g., retailers, distributors, manufacturers, or other sectors); freight transportation providers; and ports, should also provide the following information:

(1) A sponsor letter on the letterhead of the sponsoring U.S. company or U.S. organization to be represented, containing a brief description why the nominee should be considered for membership;

(2) Short biography of nominee including credentials;

(3) Brief description of the U.S. company or U.S. organization to be represented and its activities and size (number of employees or members and annual sales, if applicable); and

(4) An affirmative statement that the applicant meets all Committee eligibility requirements for representative members, including that the applicant represents a U.S. company or U.S. organization.

a. For purposes of Committee eligibility, a U.S. company is at least 51 percent owned by U.S. persons.

b. For purposes of Committee eligibility, a U.S. organization is controlled by U.S. persons, as determined based on its board of directors (or comparable governing body), membership, and funding sources, as applicable.

In addition to the above requirements for all nominations, nominations for experts from academia should also provide the following information:

(1) A description of the nominee's area(s) of expertise;

(2) A concise Curriculum Vitae (CV) or resume that covers education, experience, and relevant publications and summarizes how this expertise addresses supply chain competitiveness;

(3) An affirmative statement that the applicant meets all Committee eligibility requirements.

Please do not send company or organization brochures.

Nominations may be emailed to [e-mail], faxed to the attention of Richard Boll at 202-482-2669, or mailed to Richard Boll, Office of Supply Chain, Professional & Business Services, Room 11014, U.S. Department of Commerce, 1401 Constitution Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20230, and must be received on or before January 12, 2018. Nominees selected for appointment to the Committee will be notified.

Dated: December 7, 2017.

Maureen Smith,

Director, Office of Supply Chain and Professional & Business Services.