Office of the United States Trade Representative
Council Member: Ron Kirk, United States Trade Representative
Council Designee: Lisa Mary Estelle Ryckman, Senior Policy Advisor, Office Intergovernmental Affairs and Public Engagement
Mary Estelle Ryckman, as Senior Policy Advisor, is responsible for USTR’s new effort on women in economic growth, overall coordination of USTR’s implementation of the Administration’s development strategy as it relates to trade, and matters relating to Millennium Challenge Corporation. Ms. Ryckman works closely with other federal agencies, international organizations, the private sector and non-governmental organizations.
Prior to her current assignment, Ms. Ryckman held numerous positions at USTR, including Assistant U.S. Trade Representative for Trade and Development and Deputy Assistant U.S. Trade Representative for Canada. She has over 20 years of negotiating experience covering the full range of trade issues, from the Uruguay Round to the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation forum to investment issues, including bilateral investment treaties and the Multilateral Agreement on Investment negotiations in the OECD.
Ms. Ryckman also spent five years as a commercial loan officer in Boston before joining the federal government. She received a graduate degree in International Affairs from the George Washington University in 1988 and completed her undergraduate work at Princeton University in 1981.
Council Designee: Lisa Garcia, Assistant U.S. Trade Representative, Office Intergovernmental Affairs and Public Engagement
Lisa A. Garcia is the Assistant U.S. Trade Representative for the Intergovernmental Affairs and Public Engagement office. A native of Texas, Ms. Garcia has more than fifteen years work experience in National and State Legislative oversight, national initiatives, corporate governmental and public affairs. Previously, Ms. Garcia was Principal of her own strategic & political consulting firm in Austin and served in the office of U.S. Senator John Kerry as well as on the Kerry-Edwards 2004 campaign as the Southwestern Regional Director. She has also worked for Texas elected officials and a variety of Texas political campaigns and initiatives.
She received her Bachelor of Arts degree in Communication from the University of Texas.
Council Designee: Myesha Ward, Deputy Assistant U.S. Trade Representative, Office Intergovernmental Affairs and Public Engagement
Myesha Ward is the Deputy Assistant U.S. Trade Representative for the Intergovernmental Affairs and Public Engagement office. A native of Maryland, Ms. Ward served as Midwest Regional Political Director and Deputy Director for Delegate Operations for the Obama for America campaign. Previously, Ms. Ward served as the Deputy National Political Director for John Kerry’s Political Action Committee Keeping America’s Promise and as a Regional Delegate Coordinator for the Kerry-Edwards 2004 Presidential Campaign.
She received her Juris Doctor from the University of Maryland and her Bachelor’s degree from Howard University.
