WASHINGTON – Last month, the Office of the United States Trade Representative held its annual awards ceremony, celebrating the remarkable achievements and notable milestones of its dedicated staff. During the program, award recipients were announced in the following categories: Ambassador’s Award, William B. Kelly Award, Excellence in Service Award, Linda Enoch Award, Erland Herfindahl Award, Superior Achievement Award, Overseas Mission Support Award, Distinguished Career Service Award, Team Award, Way to Go Award, and Length of Service Award.
"I could not be more appreciative or proud of every individual who makes up the Office of the United States Trade Representative," said Ambassador Greer. "Whether you’re a lawyer or economist, a human resource professional or posted abroad, our staff’s unwavering commitment to public service is the backbone of our mission. Thank you for your dedication, integrity, and professionalism brought into this agency."
USTR is pleased to announce the 2025 award recipients:
Ambassador’s Award – Recognizes a senior USTR employee whose contributions go significantly beyond their role. This year’s awardee is a seasoned negotiator, thoughtful colleague, and dedicated public servant:
- Matthew Siordia, Deputy Assistant United States Trade Representative for the UK and Europe
William B. Kelly Award – Recognizes an employee who demonstrates the highest standard of professional excellence in the trade field and demonstrates sustained contributions and leadership in advancing USTR’s goals, an exemplary degree of initiative and creativity, and great respect from peers and superiors:
- Michelle Yang, Deputy Assistant United States Trade Representative for Innovation and Intellectual Property
Excellence in Service Award – Recognizes an employee who has made an extraordinary contribution in an administrative services and mission support position:
- Della Little, Security Specialist in the Office of Administration, Security Office
Linda Enoch Award – Recognizes dedicated service and excellence in administrative management, including the qualities of professionalism, initiative, creativity, and respect of peers:
- Lynettle Johnson, Trade Research Specialist for the Office of Africa Affairs
Erland Herfindahl Award – Recognizes an employee who exemplifies the values that strengthen the heart of our community – compassion, decency, empathy and kindness, and who contributes tangibly and consistently to the cohesion and vitality of our agency – not just through what they do, but through how they do it:
- Colette Morgan, Deputy Assistant United States Trade Representative for Southeast Asia and the Pacific
Superior Achievement Award – Recognizes employees for special efforts significantly above and beyond the requirements for their position:
- Angela Brown, Taiwo Carmichael, Linda Chambers, Brian Cochran, Brenna Dougan, Cassie Ender, Emily Fischer, Daniel Fumagalli, Sarah Morningred, Leo Roytman, Orlando Roman, Sigrid Simpson, Deborah Tidwell, Alan Treat, Tim Wedding, Tina Williams, and Yingying Xu
Overseas Mission Support Award – Granted at the sole discretion and judgement of the Ambassador, to individuals serving in one of USTRS international posts who demonstrate a high degree of dedication, and exemplary performance, contributing to the overall efficiency, effectiveness, productivity and economy of USTR’s mission:
- Maria Moreno Lopez – Litigation Assistant at the Geneva Office
Distinguished Career Service Award – Recognizes recent USTR retiree(s) whose career reflects long and exceptional devotion to duty and exemplifies significant contributions to the economy, efficiency, uniquely important projects, recognized expertise in some phase of USTR’s technical, professional or administrative work or other improvement in USTR operation:
- Tom Fine, former Director for the Office of Services and Investment
- Maria Pagan, former Deputy United States Trade Representative and Chief of Mission for the Permanent Mission of the United States to the World Trade Organization
- Chris Wilson, former Assistant United States Trade Representative for Japan, Korea, and APEC Affairs
Team Award – In addition to honoring several USTR colleagues for their outstanding individual work, we also honor teams or groups that displayed either exemplary teamwork, resilience, problem-solving, continuous readiness, thoughtful leadership, remarkable collaboration, distinctive competencies, or commendable organizational skills that were of importance and value to USTR’s mission:
- Chile Geographical Indications Team: Ariel Gordon, Sarah Morningred, Shannon Nestor, Raquel Silva, and Michelle Yang
- Office of Economics Team: Daniel Aria, JoAnne Allen, and Yingying Xu
- Office of Human Capital: Angela Brown, Taiwo Carmichael, Cassie Ender, Tiffany Enoch, Emily Monitz, and Deborah Tidwell
- Section 301 Four Year Review Team: Daniel Arias, Phillip Butler, Antonio Douglas, Megan Grimball, Rebecca Gudicello, Susie Park Hodge, Justin Hoffman, Jack Kamensky, Edward Marcus, Daniel Matthews, Andrew Medley, Nathan Read, Sarah Short, Arthur Tsao, Yingying Xu, and Shelly Zhao
- Section 301 Ships Team: Ben Allen, Thomas Au, Victor Ban, Phillip Butler, Charita Castro, Donna Chung, Antonio Douglas, Megan Grimball, Rachel Hasandras, Jack Kamensky, Amanda Lee, Alex Martin, Daniel Matthews, Andrew Medley, Anjani Nadadur, Nathan Read, David Salkeld, Henry Smith, Arthur Tsao, Yingying Xu, and Shelly Zhao
- Special 301 Team: Claire Avery Page, Jesse Huang, Alex Tercero Chacon, Ben Wollam, and Michelle Yang
- USMCA Rapid Response Mechanism (RRM) Team: Jennifer Boyd, Claudia Calderon, Katherine Cedillos, Donna Chung, Michelle Collopy, Brenna Dougan, Mark Eskenazi, Brady Francisco-FitzMaurice, Alex Gancayco, Amanda Hardy, Rachel Hasandras, Molly Hofsommer, Andrew Medley, Austin Pedersen, Andrea Rojas, Sofia Ruiz, and Annelies Winborne
- Uyghur Forced Labor Protection Act Enforcement Team: Ben Allen, Erin Biel, Jennifer Oetken, Nathan Read, Julie Halvorson-Taylor, Sloane Strickler, and Jing Zhang
Way to Go Award – A peer-to-peer award that gives colleagues the chance to recognize each other for outstanding efforts and contributions resulting in significant benefits to USTR, and for going above and beyond the requirements of their own job to help other colleagues, demonstrating exemplary teamwork or customer service:
- Tameka Cooper, Amanda Hardy, Simon Hudes, Asad Nawaz, and Leo Roytman
Length of Service Award – Recognizes successful completion of service for every five years up to 50 years:
- 45 years of service: Connie Hamilton
- 30 years of service: Janice Kaye, and Zeba Reyazuddin
- 25 years of service: Joanne Allen, Laura Buffo, Taiwo Carmichael, Ellen House, Juan Millan, and Carlos Romero
- 20 years of service: Drauthon Antoine, Milton Holt, Leah Liston, Della Little, Kristin Najdi, Michelle Secrist, Robert Telchin, Alan Treat, and Judith Webster
- 15 years of service: Katy Mastman, and Raquel Silva
- 10 years of service: Leslie Akinola, Claire Avery-Page, Ross Bidlingmaier, Alice Hadley, Leroy Jackson, and Tina Williams
- 5 years of service: Rachel Hasandras, Brittany Hendricks, Susie Park Hodge, Edward Marcus, and Alexis Tercero-Chacon
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