Kiesha Downs joined the U.S. Census Bureau, Foreign Trade Division in 2002 where she began her career in the Commodity Analysis Branch processing monthly export data for the machinery area. She later served 20 years in the Trade Regulations Branch where she oversaw work on regulatory matters pertaining to the Foreign Trade Regulations (FTR), advised on the collection of the Electronic Export Information (EEI), led the voluntary self-disclosure program and spearheaded the development of agreements with government agencies that receive export data from the Census Bureau. She frequently works with businesses around the country at seminars and conferences to promote compliance with the FTR and proper filing of the EEI via the Automated Export System.
As the International Trade Specialist, she is responsible for collaborating with other statistical agencies and acting as a liaison for the international trade program. She coordinates requests for trade data from the Department and partnership government agencies. She works with businesses and government agencies to provide training and guidance on the Census Bureau’s international trade data tools and resources at trade shows, seminars, and conferences. She also serves as an advocate for the business community to communicate with different parts of the U.S. government on matters of international trade, export enforcement, penalty resolution, trade promotion and compliance.
Ms. Downs has been recognized numerous times for her outstanding customer service and work with outreach and education. She received multiple Director’s Award for Innovation for various types of trainings and a team Silver Medal Award for Leadership from the Department of Commerce for her work on the development and implementation of the Automated Export System Compliance Review Program. Ms. Downs received her Bachelor of Science degree in Finance from the University of Maryland, College Park. In addition, she also received a Master of Business Administration with a concentration in management from Strayer University and an Associate’s Citation in Project Management from the George Washington University.
