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U.S. Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Trade Development Linda Conlin to Visit Vilnius on December 9-11, 2002

December 6, 2002

Vilnius, October 4, 2002 -- The Embassy of the United States of America in Vilnius is pleased to announce that the United States Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Trade Development, Ms. Linda Conlin, will visit Vilnius on December 9-11, 2002.  Assistant Secretary Conlin’s visit is the second high-level visit by a U.S. Department of Commerce official this year.   Undersecretary of Commerce for International Trade, Mr. Grant Aldonas, visited Vilnius and Kaunas on October 5-9, 2002.

Assistant Secretary Conlin manages the Trade Development Office of the International Trade Administration (ITA) of the U.S. Department of Commerce.  She works to ensure that U.S. businesses succeed in the world’s global market.  Ms. Conlin directs the offices that provide export promotion, counseling and advocacy for small businesses as well as large corporations.  She also manages 366 industry specialists who offer counseling and analysis for business sectors ranging from basic manufacturing to high technology and service exports.

While in Lithuania, Assistant Secretary Conlin will meet with American Embassy Officials, representatives of the Lithuanian Development Agency, Mr. Emilis Gustainis, Secretary of the Ministry of Environment, Mr. Gediminas Miskinis, State Secretary of the Ministry of Economy, Ms. Laima Mogeniene, Head of the Kaunas Regional Association of Small and Medium Businesses, members of the Association of Lithuanian Chambers of Commerce, Industry and Crafts, Mr. Romas Svedas, Director of the Economics Department of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, as well as U.S. and Lithuanian business representatives.

Please find Ms. Linda Conlin’s biography, below.

International Trade Administration, 
U.S. Department of Commerce 

Linda Mysliwy Conlin
Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Trade Development 

Linda Mysliwy Conlin

Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Trade Development
International Trade Administration, U.S. Department of Commerce

Linda Mysliwy Conlin was nominated by President Bush and confirmed by the U.S. Senate to serve as the Assistant Secretary for Trade Development at the U.S. Department of Commerce. She has more than 22 years experience as an international marketing and management executive, which includes an extensive public service background of promoting commerce on both the state and federal levels.

At the Trade Development Office, Ms. Conlin ensures that U.S. businesses succeed in the world's global market through resources and services that are offered at all stages of exporting. She directs the offices that provide export promotion, counseling and advocacy for small businesses as well as large corporations. In addition, Ms. Conlin oversees a $62 million budget and manages 366 industry specialists who offer counseling and analysis for business sectors that range from basic manufacturing to high technology and service exports.

Prior to her appointment to the Commerce Department, Ms. Conlin served from 1998-1999 as Executive Director of the Office of Travel and Tourism for the state of New Jersey Commerce and Economic Growth Commission. In support of the vital industry, she was the principal advisor to Governor Whitman for marketing and policy formation.

Ms. Conlin also served as the Director of the Office of Travel and Tourism for the New Jersey Commerce Department from 1994-1998,. During her five-year tenure, Ms. Conlin directed a comprehensive marketing program that contributed to more than $3.3 billion in growth to the New Jersey travel and tourism industry. Because of this and other successful ventures, she was profiled in the Wall Street Journal for her success in helping to rebuild New Jersey's public image.

Before joining the Whitman Administration, Ms. Conlin served as Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Marketing in the U.S. Travel and Tourism Administration from 1989 through 1993. During her tenure, she successfully managed global marketing programs, revitalized worldwide field office operations and introduced regional export development programs that enabled new companies to enter the export market. These efforts contributed to a 60 percent growth in export revenues over a four-year period and generated more than $1 million in new strategic partnerships.

From 1987 until 1989, Ms. Conlin served as the corporate liaison officer for U.S./U.S.S.R. initiatives and then as Associate Director for the Office of Private Sector Committees for the U.S. Information Agency. She played a leading role in organizing USIA's International Council Conference as a forum for business and public opinion leaders to analyze global perception of U.S. policy. Ms. Conlin also served as Protocol Visits Officer for the U.S. Department of State and oversaw state and official visits of foreign leaders and senior governmental officials.

Previously, Ms. Conlin was President of Park-Main Travel Agency, where, under her direction, annual sales increased from $250,000 to $4 million and the business was ranked as one of the top-10 travel agencies in Southeastern New England.

Ms. Conlin was born in Springfield, Massachusetts. She is married to Joseph F. Conlin, Jr.