US Department of Transportation (DOT) Secretary Elaine L Chao announced the appointment of 15 members to DOT’s new Advisory Committee on Human Trafficking.
“Members of this committee have extensive experience in combatting human trafficking, and the department looks forward to receiving their recommendations and reports,” said Secretary Chao.
The committee, required by the Combating Human Trafficking in Commercial Vehicles Act, consists of stakeholders from trafficking advocacy organizations, law enforcement, and trucking, bus, rail, aviation, maritime, and port sectors, including industry and labor.
The committee will submit recommendations to Secretary Chao by July 3, 2019, that include:
- Strategies for identifying and reporting instances of human trafficking.
- Recommendations for administrative or legislative changes to use programs, properties, or other resources owned, operated, or funded by DOT to combat human trafficking.
- Best practices for state and local transportation stakeholders based on multidisciplinary research and promising evidence-based models and programs, including sample training materials and strategies to identify victims.
The committee builds upon DOT’s work with transportation stakeholders across all modes of transportation to prevent human trafficking through the Transportation Leaders Against Human Trafficking initiative. DOT also partners with the aviation industry through the Blue Lightning Initiative (BLI), led by DOT, the Department of Homeland Security, and US Customs and Border Protection. BLI trains aviation industry personnel to identify potential traffickers and human trafficking victims, and to report their suspicions to federal law enforcement. To date, more than 100,000 personnel in the aviation industry have been trained through BLI, and actionable tips continue to be reported to law enforcement.
The following individuals are being appointed to the Advisory Committee on Human Trafficking:
Chairperson: Catherine Todd Bailey, Former US ambassador to Latvia
Vice Chairperson: Linda Burtwistle, president & COO, Coach USA; board member, American Bus Association
Paul Anderson, president and CEO, Port Tampa Bay
Nicole Clifton, vice-president, global public affairs, United Parcel Service
Sherri Garner Brumbaugh, president and CEO, Garner Transportation Group; vice-chair, American Trucking Associations
Michelle Guelbart, director, Private Sector Engagement, ECPAT-USA
Greg Hynes, alternate national legislative director, International Association of Sheet Metal, Air, Rail, and Transportation Workers (SMART-TD)
Kristen Joyner, executive director, South West Transit Association
Loretta Kennedy, director, domestic operations and investigations, JetBlue Airways
Laura J Lederer, president, Global Centurion
David Lorenzen, chief, Iowa Motor Vehicle Enforcement, Iowa DOT
Kendis Paris, executive director, Truckers Against Trafficking
Mi Yung Park, government relations director, A21
Eric Smith, vice-president & chief commercial officer, Hendry Marine Industries
Lynn Thoman, adjunct professor of international and public affairs, Columbia University