The National Customs Brokers and Forwarders Association of America (NCBFAA) has retained Nicole Bivens Collinson as Legislative Counsel, effective Oct. 15.
Collinson leads the International Trade and Government Relations Practice of Sandler, Travis & Rosenberg, P.A., in Washington, D.C., and serves as managing principal of the Washington, D.C., office. She is also a member of ST&R's Operating Committee and a commentator on trade matters on MSNBC and NPR.
Collinson has over 30 years of experience in government, public affairs, and lobbying. She has drafted and guided the successful implementation of several pieces of key international trade legislation positively affecting the bottom line of many U.S. companies.
“Recent events have highlighted just how crucial well-operating supply chains are to our economic health. The NCBFAA’s members play an indispensable role in making that happen, and for almost 125 years the Association has worked tirelessly to make it easier for those companies to do their jobs,” Collinson said. “ST&R looks forward to aiding this work by using our decades of experience building effective relationships with Congress and federal agencies to advance the priorities of the NCBFAA and its members.”
Collinson is a well-known international trade authority in Washington, regularly called upon by members of Congress and the Administration to help explain complex trade programs. Her decades of work with the House Ways and Means, Energy and Commerce, Foreign Affairs and Homeland Security committees and the Senate Finance; Commerce, Science and Transportation; Foreign Relations; and Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs committees has established deep and lasting relations with members of Congress and their staffs.
Prior to joining Sandler, Travis & Rosenberg, Collinson served as assistant chief negotiator for the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative, responsible for the negotiation of bilateral agreements with Latin America, Eastern Europe, Southeast Asia, the Sub-Continent and Africa. She also served as a country specialist in the International Trade Administration at the Department of Commerce, where she was responsible for the preparation of negotiations on specific topics between the U.S. and Latin America, Eastern Europe, China, and Hong Kong, as well as the administration of complex textile agreements.
Collinson holds a master’s degree in international relations from The George Washington University and a triple bachelor’s degree in political science, European studies, and French from Georgetown College.
“I have known Nicole for a number of years and find her to be utmost professional and extremely knowledgeable of the legislative process in Washington, D.C.,” NCBFAA President Jan Fields said. “The association will certainly benefit from her talent and expertise as we navigate current and future legislative matters that impact our industry.”
“On behalf of the association, I am thrilled to see Nicole join our team,” said NCBFAA Legislative Chair Laurie Arnold. “Nicole’s reputation as an expert in our industry precedes her and we are thrilled to be able to deepen our relationship with Sandler, Travis & Rosenberg. We look forward to working closely with her to effectively advocate for our members’ needs before Congress, the Administration, and beyond.”
