The Office of the United States Trade Representative

USTR Zoellick Announces Staff Appointments
Contact: Richard Mills (202) 395-3230 05/03/2001

WASHINGTON - United States Trade Representative Robert B. Zoellick today announced the following additions to the USTR staff:

Dayna Cade - Deputy Assistant U.S. Trade Representative for Congressional Affairs:
Ms. Cade worked on the Bush-Cheney campaign in Austin, Texas, Missouri and Florida. Prior to that she was the Director of Government Affairs for the Airports Council International (ACI). Before joining ACI, Ms. Cade had lobbied on behalf of drug and medical device manufacturers. She also worked in Communications for the Center for Science in the Public Interest. She holds a Master's degree from the George Washington University School of Political Management and a BA in Political Science from Indiana University.


Naotaka Matsukata - Special Assistant for Policy Planning:
Dr. Matsukata served on U.S. Senator Joseph I. Lieberman's staff from April 1997 to May 2001, as senior policy advisor and earlier as a legislative assistant for economic and international trade affairs. He also served as senior policy advisor to Democratic Vice Presidential Candidate Joseph I. Lieberman during the 2000 presidential campaign. Prior to joining Senator Lieberman's staff, Matsukata served as director of Asia Pacific research for the Economic Strategy Institute and during that time was an advisor to the Presidential Commission on U.S.-Pacific Trade and Investment Policy. In addition, Matsukata has taught at Harvard University and has been a professorial lecturer in Asian Studies at the Paul Nitze School for Advanced International Studies of Johns Hopkins University. Matsukata has a PhD and an MA in history from Harvard University.


Matt Niemeyer - Deputy Assistant U.S. Trade Representative for Congressional Affairs:
Mr. Niemeyer served as the Deputy Political Director for the American Israel Public Affairs Committee. Prior to that he was the manager of grassroots programs for the Independent Insurance Agents of America. He was also a Legislative Assistant and political consultant for House Rules Committee Chairman Gerald B. Solomon. Before joining Congressman Solomon's staff, Mr. Niemeyer was a political analyst at AIPAC. In addition, he spent two election cycles at the National Republican Congressional Committee and worked in U.S. Senator John McCain's state office in Phoenix, AZ. Mr. Niemeyer graduated from Arizona State University with a bachelor degree in Political Science.

Heather K. Wingate-Assistant United States Trade Representative for Intergovernmental Affairs and Public Liaison. Ms.Wingate was Chief of Staff to Senator Sam Brownback. Previously, she served Senator Brownback in his Kansas operation as Deputy State Director. From February 1995 to February 1997, Ms.Wingate worked at the National Rifle Association's Institute for Legislative Action (ILA), initially as a Legislative Liaison and later as the Deputy Director of ILA's Federal Affairs office. Licensed to practice law in the District of Columbia and Kansas, Ms. Wingate worked as an Associate Attorney with the Washington law firm of Mark Barnes. A Kansas native, she received her Juris Doctor degree and Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Kansas.

E. Richard Mills - Press Secretary:
Since January 1999, Mr. Mills had been Communications Director for House Rules Committee Chairman David Dreier (R-CA), a national Republican leader on trade issues. Before working for the Rules Committee, Mr. Mills served as Press Secretary to the Senate Banking Committee from May 1995 to December 1998 under Chairman Alfonse M. D'Amato (R-NY). From January 1992 to May 1995 he held various positions within Senator D'Amato's office. Mr. Mills recently received a Masters degree in Public Communications from American University, and is a graduate of Ithaca College in Ithaca, N.Y.