WIIT-DC Voted OWIT Chapter of the Year
Andrea Ewart, OWIT Representative

WIIT-DC Voted OWIT Chapter of the Year

WIIT-DC was voted Chapter of the Year at the recent OWIT Spring Board meeting. The award recognizes WIIT-DC's engagement in and support of OWIT over the past year. WIIT-DC hosted the OWIT Fall Board meeting in September, 2005; at the WTO Hong Kong Ministerial in December, 2005 coordinated two networking events for OWIT members attending from several countries; and assisted with the creation and mentoring of new and struggling chapters, particularly in Hungary (Budapest), Kenya (Nairobi), Romania, Angola, Uganda, Jordan, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Jamaica, and in Hampton Roads, Virginia. In addition, WIIT's Charitable Trust works with other OWIT chapters to promote projects to advance the teaching of international trade issues in schools.

Benefits of OWIT Membership

As the largest chapter of the Organization of Women in International Trade (OWIT), it's easy for WIIT members to forget that we are part of an even larger international network of women involved in trade. So, here are two ways in which as a WIIT member you can connect with OWIT over the next few months.

• Use the Resources of Other Chapters: Your WIIT membership automatically entitles you to contact and to interact with the other OWIT chapters around the globe. Currently, OWIT chapters are active in over 25 cities located in the United States, Canada, and Mexico; existing and emerging chapters exist in several countries in Africa, Europe, and Latin America & the Caribbean. OWIT chapters can be an excellent resource for your professional and personal networks as you travel and interact within the United States and internationally. The new interactive OWIT website will be launched soon and will allow members to easily connect and interact with other chapters. Until then, please feel free to contact Andrea Ewart at aewart@developtradelaw.com for information on contacting a chapter of interest to you.
• Attend the Annual Conference: "Building the Bridge from Market Access to Trade Compliance" is the theme for the 2006 OWIT Conference, which is being held in San Francisco, September 13-15. The OWIT Conference will provide a forum for networking with hundreds of international trade professionals from around the world; and for gaining perspective on the state of global trade and compliance through 18 sessions within three program tracks: 1) Global Trade Policy; 2) Supply Chain & Security Logistics; and 3) Emerging Markets. Conference participants will also participate in the opening night reception and awards gala, where WIIT-DC will be presented with the Chapter of the Year award. A high-tech tour of Silicon Valley and a wine tour will be available on the week-end following the conference. The conference registration fee is US$375.00 for all OWIT members who register by August 14th, and the first 150 registrants will receive a free memory key/jump drive. Registration information is available at http://www.wit-nc.com/Conference_registration.htm. The 2006 conference is being hosted by Women in International Trade - Northern California, a very dynamic chapter which is highlighted below.

OWIT Chapter Highlight - Women in International Trade - Northern California (WIT-NC)

WIT-NC was founded in 1989. Among the chapter's 125 members are professional women and men whose careers encompass all aspects of international trade, including import, export, sales, marketing, finance, law, customs brokerage, logistics, transportation, government, and consulting. Industry representation includes such companies as Agilent Technologies, Chevron, Clorox, DHL, UPS, Fujitsu, Hewlett Packard, Symantec, Sun Microsystems, and Toyota.

Recent WIT-NC program events have included:

• Deemed Exports: Everyone's Doing It - Are You Doing It Right?
  
• Implementing the New Importer - Security Criteria for C-TPAT
  
• Around the World - Optimizing Your Business Travel
  
• Seaport Operations Tour: How does it work behind the scenes? An in-depth tour of the Port of Oakland, including the Document Analysis Unit and Container Examination Station
  
• New Strategies for Global Trade Management and Security Automation Program, which included a speaker on mastering cross-border supply chains by synchronizing logistics, compliance, and finance; and a trade show
  
• Leveraging ACE to Maximize Business Advantage, an overview of the Automated Commercial Environment (ACE)
  
• A Deep Dive into Encryption, a program for very experienced trade practitioners on the nuances of encryption licensing.

WIT-NC's President, Beth Peterson, was voted OWIT's Member of the Year at the Spring board meeting. More information about WIT-NC is available at www.wit-nc.com. Meet WIT-NC members at the conference or contact the chapter on your next visit to the California bay area!

Back to Newsletter