Advisory Committee on Supply Chain Competitiveness Solicitation of Nominations for Membership

SUMMARY: The Department of Commerce, International Trade Administration (ITA), is requesting nominations to fill vacancies on the Advisory Committee on Supply Chain Competitiveness (Committee). The Committee was established under the Federal Advisory Committee Act, 5 U.S.C. App. The Committee was first chartered on November 21, 2011. The Department of Commerce rechartered the Committee for another two-year term beginning on November 20, 2013, with modifications to the charter to clarify the scope of issues on which the Committee advises the Secretary, including supply chain competitiveness issues related to trade programs, freight movement and policy, information and data systems associated with system performance measurement, regulatory issues, and infrastructure finance, and to increase the maximum membership from 40 to 45 members. 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 to fill vacancies on the Committee.

DATES: Nominations for membership must be received on or before February 21, 2014.

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 202-482-1135; email: richard.boll@trade.gov.

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 202-482-1135; email: richard.boll@trade.gov. Please visit the Advisory Committee on Supply Chain Competitiveness Web site at: http://ita.doc.gov/td/sif/dsct/acscc/.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Department of Commerce is seeking nominations to fill vacancies on the Committee. The Committee was established on November 21, 2011, and the Committee was rechartered on November 20, 2013. The new charter increased the maximum membership of the Committee to forty-five (45) members. Members will serve for a two-year term and will be selected in accordance with applicable Department of Commerce Guidelines 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. Representatives from the retail, airport, energy, logistics and freight forwarding, 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.

Each member of the Committee must be a U.S. citizen, not a federally-registered lobbyist, 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 as often as necessary as determined by the DFO, but not less than once per year.