Importer Security Filing (ISF) Round Table

$500 Gold Sponsor

• Company name and/or logo to be used in news releases, advertising, signage, and website
• Verbal recognition at the event
• Three tickets to the event
• One table-top for display purposes
• Logo on LACBFFA website
• Link to sponsor’s website

$300 Silver Sponsor

• Company name and/or logo included in news releases and advertising
• Verbal recognition at the event
• Two tickets to the event
• One table-top for display purposes
• Link to sponsor’s website

$200 Bronze Sponsor

• Company name included in news releases and advertising
• Verbal recognition at the event
• One ticket to the event
• One table-top for display purposes

Laura Tapia
U.S. Customs and Border Protection
Los Angeles/Long Beach Seaport
Section Chief – Trade Branch II

Ms. Laura Tapia is a Section Chief assigned to the Trade Branch II at the Los Angeles/Long Beach Seaport. She has direct oversight of the Merchandise Examination Team (MET). Her team is responsible for the examination of high risk shipments in violation of intellectual property rights, import safety regulations, smuggling and other trade laws arriving at the LA/LB Seaport.

Ms. Tapia has an extensive cargo background and works directly with members of the Trade Community (Importers, Exporters, Carriers, Brokers Consolidators and Port/Terminal Operators) to facilitate legitimate cargo while ensuring compliance with U.S. laws and regulations.  

Ms. Tapia began her career with the U.S. Customs Service in 1988 as a Customs Inspector at the LA/LB Seaport.  In 1993, she became a Supervisory Customs Inspector at the Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) where she was actively involved with the trade community overseeing Trade related issues.  

Ms. Tapia is a graduate of Mount Saint Mary’s College, Los Angeles, with a Bachelor’s Degree in Business Administration. 

Steven Hodges
U.S. Customs and Border Protection
Los Angeles/Long Beach Seaport
Supervisor – Trade Branch I

Mr. Steven Hodges is a Supervisory Customs and Border Protection Officer assigned to Trade Branch I at the Los Angeles/Long Beach Seaport. He has direct oversight of the Warehouse and Carrier Enforcement Team (WCET). His team is responsible for the oversight of bonded warehouses, general order warehouses, container freight stations, foreign trade zones, terminals and bonded carriers. 
His team conducts physical inspections of merchandise, reviews documentation to ensure proper audit trails and processes Import Security Filing (ISF), 24-hour, inbond penalties and liquidated damages for misdeliveries.

He has an extensive Trade background and works directly with members of the Trade Community to ensure compliance with U.S. laws and regulations.  

Mr. Hodges began his career with the U.S. Customs Service in 2002 at the LA/ Long Beach Seaport with preceding assignments to El Paso, TX and Otay Mesa, CA. In 2019 He became a Supervisory Customs and Border Protection Officer at the LA/Long Beach Seaport.

Mr. Hodges is a graduate of the University of Texas at El Paso, with a Bachelor’s Degree in Biology and Psychology.

Bryant Van Buskirk
Director, Los Angeles CTPAT Field Office
Office of Field Operations
United States Customs & Border Protection

Bryant Van Buskirk currently serves as the Director of the Los Angeles CTPAT Field office.  He is responsible for oversight and administration of all activities relative to the LA CTPAT area of operations, which encompasses Baja and Central Mexico, British Colombia, Canada, the majority of Pacific-Asia Region countries and a diverse area of domestic locations, primarily within the Western United States.  His duties also include management and maintenance of the Mutual Recognition Arrangements (MRA) between United States Customs and Border Protection and the countries of South Korea and New Zealand.

In these capacities, he works directly with members of the Trade (Importers, Exporters, Foreign Manufacturers, Carriers, Brokers, Consolidators, Port/Terminal Operators) towards improving international supply chain security, compliance with the 2006 Safe Port Act and overall furtherance of Customs & Border Protection’s Anti-Terrorism Goals. 

Mr. Van Buskirk joined the former U.S. Customs Service (now Customs & Border Protection) as an Inspector at the Los Angeles/Long Beach Seaport in 1992.  Mr. Van Buskirk has been with the CTPAT program since 2005.  

Prior to this assignment, he served as a Chief CBP Officer, assigned to oversee enforcement and cargo processing activities relative to Anti-Terrorism and Contraband Enforcement within the Los Angeles/Long Beach Seaport area of operations.

Mr. Van Buskirk is a recipient of the Certificate of Merit, Secretary General, World Customs Organization for exceptional service to the international Customs community (2018), Commissioner of Customs Award of Valor, National Partnership for Reinventing Government Award, Co-recipient of National Review Board’s Hammer Award, Commissioner of Customs Strategic Problem Solving Award and Commissioner of Customs Award for Innovation. 

Adam Gunion
Los Angeles, Customs Trade Partnership Against Terrorism (CTPAT) Office

Adam Gunion (phonetically pronounced Gun-yen) is a Supervisory Supply Chain Security Specialist assigned to the Los Angeles CTPAT Field Office.  He has been with program since 2008, serving eight years as a Supply Chain Security Specialist and conducting hundreds of CTPAT validations throughout the world prior to being promoted to the supervisory position in 2016.  

During his time with CTPAT, Adam has developed and presented a variety of workshops for CTPAT seminars and various supply chain security events, including the World Customs Organization’s Global AEO Conference and the Australian Trusted Trader Symposium.  He has participated in the Mutual Recognition activities with customs officials from New Zealand, Finland, South Korea, Italy, Malta, Romania, Lithuania, and Hungary, and is currently leading the Joint Work Plan negotiations with Australia.

Adam has been involved in developing program-wide procedures and led a variety of workgroups to improve CTPAT processes, including a Post Incident Analysis workgroup that reviewed previous security breaches involving CTPAT partners to look for common smuggling trends, supply chain vulnerabilities, and security breakdowns.

Prior to joining the CTPAT program, Adam was a CBP Officer at the Los Angeles/Long Beach Seaport.  His experience as an officer included physical and non-intrusive inspections, cargo targeting and vessel threat analysis.  In addition to the seaport, he also worked at the port of International Falls, Minnesota.

Adam received a Bachelor of Science in Political Science from the University of Evansville.