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The Port of Baltimore
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November/December 2013
BY MERRILL WIT T Y
Protecting the Homeland
Acting Port Director Has a Calling with U.S. Customs
S
usan Thomas was seated in a
conference room at the U.S.
Customs Services’ New York
office one sunny September
morning 12 years ago.
“Sitting in 6 World Trade Center on
September 11, when the first plane hit
Tower 1 and on the ground when Tower
2 was hit, was surreal and an event that
has impacted me forever,” she said. “Every
day, I am grateful for my life and my
liberties. Working in the Department of
Homeland Security, securing our nation’s
borders, has significant and special
meaning to me after experiencing firsthand
the events in New York on that day.”
Few people have as compelling a reason
for their job dedication as Thomas does.
Prior to that horrific event, she spent a few
years in the computer programming and
help-desk industries before finding her
“calling” with U.S. Customs.
Thomas has been Acting Port Director
at the U.S. Customs and Border Protection
(CBP) Port of Baltimore since July. In this
PORT
PERSON
position, she oversees the passenger, trade
and seaport operations for the agency.
Thomas and the CBP staff ensure
that legitimate cargo and passengers are
facilitated through the Port, while Port
personnel focus their efforts on high-risk
cargo and travelers.
She said she is “excited to be leading a
team of dedicated men and women with a
passion for securing our nation’s borders.”
Thomas joined the Port of Baltimore as
the Assistant Port Director, Trade Operations,
in June 2012. In this capacity, she focused
on the agency’s trade and agriculture
mission — enforcing hundreds of laws and
regulations that protect America’s economy
and ecosystem as well as the health and
safety of the American public.
Prior to that appointment, Thomas
served as the Chief, Antidumping and
Countervailing Duty (AD/CVD) and Revenue
Operations Branch, in the Office of Field
Operations, Cargo and Conveyance Security
Office in Washington, D.C. There, she was
responsible for managing field operations
and trade resources, collaborating with the
Office of International Trade on trade policy
matters and trade enforcement initiatives,
evaluating impacts of trade-related
activities and monitoring the effectiveness
and uniformity of trade operations in
support of the agency’s trade mission.
From 2000 to 2007, Thomas was a
Field Operation Specialist and an Import
Specialist with the Textile/Apparel Policy
and Programs Division, within the Office of
International Trade. In these positions, she
was responsible for developing policy and
procedures to ensure compliance with laws
and regulations related to the importation
of textiles and wearing apparel.
Additionally, Thomas traveled exten-
sively to work with foreign Customs officials
to develop strategies and processes to
maximize compliance with Free Trade
Agreements and Preferential Trade Leg-
islation, such as the African Growth and
Opportunity Act (AGOA) and Caribbean
Basin Trade Partnership Act (CBTPA).
She received a Commissioner’s Award
along with other agency personnel for her
work on the Textile Production Verification
Teams. These teams tour textile and
wearing apparel factories, interview senior
management and review production records
in an attempt to verify that merchandise is
actually made in the factories and complies
with all U.S. import regulations. Their work
enforces international trade agreements,
protects American jobs and ensures that
product labeling is accurate.
Thomas began her career in 1995 with
the U.S. Customs Service as an Import
Specialist closer to her then-home near
Philadelphia, Pa. Born and raised in the
Lehigh Valley area of Pennsylvania, she
received her degree in mathematics from
LaSalle University.
She and husband Kevin live in Elkridge,
Md., and spend their free time supporting
local businesses and musicians in
downtown Baltimore and on the Eastern
Shore.
KATHY BERGREN SMITH
