Joshua Kaplan

Experience

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  U.S. Department of Commerce

  Sept 2004 - Dec 2004

  Commercial Affairs Intern

  Work-study position in the Commercial Section of the U.S. Consulate General in Monterrey, Mexico providing analytical and logistical support to U.S. diplomats and locally-employed staff.

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  FD Associates, Inc.

  Jan 2005 - Aug 2006

  Associate

  Consultant to small and medium-sized defense companies, specializing in export controls and customs procedures.- Facilitated the preparation and submission of export license applications to the U.S. Department of State on behalf of defense industry clients. Worked as a liaison between government officials and clients to resolve issues that arose during the review of a given license application.- Advised client roster of their responsibilities under U.S. Government regulations via phone and e-mail correspondence. Show less

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  Overseas Private Investment Corporation

  Sept 2006 - Dec 2006

  Economic Development Intern

  Semester-long internship researching developing-country political and economic conditions as they related to a given country's eligibility to receive OPIC financial support.

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  Georgetown Economic Services

  Jan 2007 - May 2007

  Research Assistant

  Summer internship providing research and analytical support to a team of consultants providing customized import tracking reports to international business clients.

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  USDA

  May 2007 - May 2008

  Economics Assistant

  Work-study position supporting concurrent graduate school curriculum focusing on international trade (specifically agricultural trade).- Analyzed foreign governmental agricultural policies as they related to requests from U.S. industry for increased market access and/or trade compliance actions.- Assessed the potential economic impact of trade liberalization on key U.S. agricultural sectors and communicated these impacts to constituent stakeholders in industry and on Capitol Hill.

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  U.S. International Trade Commission

  May 2008 - Feb 2011

  Investigator

  Member of trade remedy investigations unit evaluating the international competitiveness of various U.S. manufacturing sectors for use in determining the likelihood of economic injury resulting from foreign imports into the U.S. market.- Facilitated import injury investigations from the initial data gathering stage through publication of each staff report, working with other agency offices to ensure statutory deadlines were fully met. - Co-authored staff reports in support of investigations involving several distinct U.S. industries. - Coordinated interoffice teams comprised of several technical experts and ensured that the information was presented in a consistent manner throughout each final work product.- Created, distributed and evaluated detailed questionnaires surveying U.S. and foreign industries in support of each staff report, and upon receipt of the completed surveys reviewed and analyzed data to ensure completeness and compliance with questionnaire instructions. Show less

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  U.S. Trade and Development Agency

  Feb 2011 - May 2013

  Country Manager - MENA/Europe Region

  Responsible for business development, project preparation and evaluation, and supervision of USTDA activities in countries throughout the Eastern Europe and Middle East regions.- Successfully designed, executed, and evaluated international business networking events designed to foster relationships between U.S. companies and foreign partners.- Managed a multimillion dollar annual portfolio of foreign assistance projects aimed at strengthening economic ties between the U.S. and developing countries in Eastern Europe and the Middle East.- Represented USTDA in meetings with senior U.S. industry and foreign government officials, as well as in interagency meetings with colleagues from other economic development and trade-focused agencies. Show less

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  FDA

  Jun 2013 - May 2014

  International Program Analyst

  Member of CFSAN International Affairs Staff responsible for grants administration and contract management, as well as center liaison to FDA overseas personnel for food safety issues.- Administered foreign assistance grants and provided programmatic guidance in support of U.S. global public health objectives.- Designed and/or participated in food safety panel presentations on behalf of FDA in response to requests from foreign governments and industry groups visiting FDA.- Facilitated responses to e-mail queries received by FDA from international partners on matters related to food safety and tracked each item using FDA’s project management database. Show less

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  Consultant

  Jun 2014 - May 2015

  Independent Business Professional

  Developed professional relationships in the Richmond, Virginia area with a number of colleagues in international business development roles in both the public and private sectors.-Regularly participated in various international business community events, such as those organized by the Virginia International Business Council.-Completed a short-term research project developing key account profiles on behalf of an industry trade association focused on helping member firms develop export markets. Work product will be used as a template for enhancing customer service to member companies and better utilizing existing resources. Show less

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  U.S. Department of Commerce

  Jun 2015 - now

  In my role with the U.S. Commercial Service, I manage a team offering a portfolio of U.S. government-supported programs designed to help U.S. companies increase exports to new markets around the world.My Commercial Service colleagues and I have relationships with Department of Commerce representatives based at U.S. diplomatic missions around the world. We also have access to dozens of Department of Commerce industry experts, as well as global market research and industry-specific resource databases. Utilizing our team’s expertise in international trade, along with that of our colleagues within the Department of Commerce and elsewhere in the U.S. Government, our office is available to assist Kansas City-area companies in many ways, including the following:-Provide personalized export counseling and access to online trade databases.-Develop an international business strategy.-Identify potential new overseas markets and evaluate potential business partners.-Build relationships with new foreign partners in both the public and private sectors.-Advocate on behalf of companies for foreign government contracts and to resolve payment disputes. Show less

  • Director, U.S. Commercial Service, Kansas City Field Office

    Nov 2019 - now

  • Director, U.S. Commercial Service, Richmond Field Office

    Jun 2015 - Nov 2019