[Federal Register Volume 62, Number 197 (Friday, October 10, 1997)]
[Notices]
[Pages 52972-52973]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 97-26985]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

International Trade Administration


District Export Councils

AGENCY: Commercial Service, Commerce.

ACTION: Notice of opportunity to serve as a member of one of the fifty-
one district export councils.

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SUMMARY: The U.S. Department of Commerce is currently seeking 
expressions of interest from individuals in serving as a member of one 
of the fifty-one District Export Councils (DECs) nationwide. The DECs 
are closely affiliated with the Export Assistance Centers (EACs) of the 
Commercial Service. DECs combine the energies of over 1,500 exporters 
and private and public export service providers who volunteer their 
time to supply specialized expertise to small and medium-sized 
businesses in their local communities who are interested in exporting. 
DEC members volunteer at their own expense.
    Providing their expertise and mentoring services, DEC members help 
local firms move from their first international business plan to their 
first export sale. The DECs create seminars that simplify trade 
finance, host international buyer delegations, design breakthrough 
exporting guides, put exporters on the Internet, and help build local 
partnerships that strengthen export assistance programs. Because DEC 
members represent both the users and providers of local export 
assistance services, they can identify gaps in the export services that 
EACs provide to U.S. businesses and thus shape EAC international trade 
programs to better meet local business needs.

Selection Process

    About half of the approximately 30 positions on each of the 51 DECs 
will be open for nominations for the term that begins January 1, 1998, 
and ends December 31, 2001. Nominees are recommended by the local DEC 
Executive Secretary in consultation with the DEC and with other local 
export

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promotion partners. After undergoing a review process, DEC nominees are 
then selected and appointed to DEC membership by the Secretary of 
Commerce.

Membership Criteria

    Each DEC is interested in nominating highly-motivated people active 
in the local exporting community.
    Membership composition on the DECs include: exporters (such as 
representatives from manufacturing, the services industry, and export 
trading companies); bankers; U.S. Small Business Administration 
representatives; state and local officials; and other ``partners'' 
including international lawyers and accountants as well as 
representatives from world trade centers, chambers of commerce, export 
management companies, labor and freight forwarders.

Deadline

    Applications for nomination to a DEC must be received by the 
designated local DEC representative by November 1, 1997.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Nathanael Herman, International Trade 
Specialist, the Commercial Service, tel. 202-482-5956. Additional 
information about the DECs is also found on the National DEC Internet 
Home Page at http://www.ita.doc.gov/usfcs/usf/dec.

    Authority: 15 U.S.C. 1501 et seq., 15 U.S.C. 4721.

    Dated: September 29, 1997.
Daniel J. McLaughlin,
Deputy Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Domestic Operations.
[FR Doc. 97-26985 Filed 10-9-97; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-FP-P