WASHINGTON - Earlier today, Thelma Askey, Director of the U.S. Trade and Development Agency, announced the appointment of three senior staff members to serve on her team. The three appointments come on the eve of an important milestone for the Agency, the re-opening of TDA involvement in China.

Carl Kress, who served as Counsel to Director Askey at the International Trade Commission prior to joining TDA, has been named Senior Advisor and Chief of Staff. He holds an LLM from the University of Hamburg, Germany; a J.D. from UCLA; and a BA in History from the University of California at Berkeley. Prior to his tenure at the ITC, Carl practiced law with a private firm in Washington, D.C. where he specialized in international trade and domestic litigation matters. Previously, he worked for U.S. Senator John Seymour, focusing on international trade matters, and for U.S. Representative Charles Pashayan, Jr. on a variety of legislative issues.

Kelley Poole, who recently worked in the Office of Public Affairs for Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld at the Pentagon, will serve as Director of Public Affairs and Business Relations. Upon graduating from Florida State University with a B.S. in Economics, Kelley held senior level positions in the executive and legislative branches of the State of Florida and at the federal level as an assistant to U.S. Congressman Charles T. Canady. After serving as a press advance representative for President George W. Bush during his 2000 campaign bid, she served as lead press director for Mrs. Bush at the 2001 Presidential Inaugural Event "A Salute to America's Authors".

Steven Berry has been appointed as Congressional Relations Liaison for TDA. Steven comes to the Agency from the Office of the Assistant Secretary for Legislation within the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. His previous federal experience includes a stint as senior legislative assistant to U.S. Representative Jim Nussle where he primarily handled trade and health care issues for Mr. Nussle's work on the Ways and Means Committee. Steven holds a Master of Science in Public Administration and Public Policy from the London School of Economics and a Bachelor of Arts in Latin American Studies from the University of Chicago.

The U.S. Trade and Development Agency assists in the creation of jobs for Americans by helping U.S. companies pursue overseas business opportunities. Through the funding of feasibility studies, orientation visits, specialized training grants, business workshops, and various forms of technical assistance, we help American businesses compete for infrastructure and industrial projects in emerging markets.

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