In 2021 every $1 USTDA invested in its programs generated a record $117 in U.S. exports. USTDA has facilitated more than $76 billion in U.S. exports since its founding in 1992, supporting 4,000 infrastructure activities in 139 countries.
Arlington, VA –Today, President Joseph R. Biden, Jr. appointed Vinai Thummalapally to serve as the Deputy Director and Chief Operating Officer of the U.S. Trade and Development Agency. Mr. Thummalapally assumes the role of USTDA’s Acting Director until a Director is confirmed by the Senate. Prior to this appointment, Mr. Thummalapally served as U.S. Ambassador to Belize and as the Executive Director of SelectUSA, a U.S. Department of Commerce initiative that facilitates job-creating business investment into the United States.
“The U.S. Trade and Development Agency has a global reputation for excellence, results, and setting the standard for American economic engagement overseas,” said Thummalapally. “It is an honor to lead this Agency and its exceptional team of professionals. I share their commitment to USTDA’s mission of creating U.S. jobs through exports, supporting the economic growth of the United States, and facilitating the development of sustainable infrastructure overseas using the best of what U.S. industry has to offer.”
Mr. Thummalapally served as the Executive Director of SelectUSA from 2013 to 2017 and as the U.S. Ambassador to Belize from 2009 to 2013, when he became the first Indian American ambassador in United States history. Mr. Thummalapally has more than 30 years of experience in the private sector, including most recently as the Executive Chairman of Red Fort Strategies, a Washington, D.C.-based public affairs and government relations firm, and as the President of MAM-A Inc., a U.S. manufacturer and distributor of archival recordable optical discs.
His civic leadership experience includes service as a board member of the Indian American Impact Project, a non-profit promoting Indian Americans to run for public office, and as an advisor to the Asian American and Pacific Islanders Victory Fund. He has also served as a board member for Cyient, a global digital engineering and technology company.
Mr. Thummalapally earned a Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering from California State University, Northridge, CA.
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The U.S. Trade and Development Agency helps companies create U.S. jobs through the export of U.S. goods and services for priority infrastructure projects in emerging economies. USTDA links U.S. businesses to export opportunities by funding project preparation and partnership building activities that develop sustainable infrastructure and foster economic growth in partner countries.
Arlington, VA – Today, President Joseph R. Biden announced his intent to nominate Enoh T. Ebong as the Director of the U.S. Trade and Development Agency. In February 2021, President Biden appointed Ms. Ebong to serve as USTDA’s Chief Operating Officer; she has been serving as the Acting Director of the Agency since then. Ms. Ebong’s appointment meant a return to the Agency where from 2004 to 2019, she served in a variety of roles including as the Agency’s General Counsel, and Deputy Director.
Prior to her return to USTDA, Ms. Ebong served as the Head of Strategic Partnerships at the Milken Center for Advancing the American Dream, where she drove the development of strategic partnerships to expand access to education, health, financial empowerment and entrepreneurship.
Before joining USTDA in 2004, Ms. Ebong practiced law at the Boston office of Mintz, Levin, Cohn, Ferris, Glovsky and Popeo, P.C. representing public and private companies in offerings, financing transactions, mergers and acquisitions, and corporate governance issues.
Ms. Ebong earned her JD from the University of Michigan Law School, a Master of Arts in Communication from the Annenberg School for Communication at the University of Pennsylvania, and a Master of Arts in History, with honors, from The University of Edinburgh, Scotland. She is a member of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts Bar.
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The U.S. Trade and Development Agency helps companies create U.S. jobs through the export of U.S. goods and services for priority infrastructure projects in emerging economies. USTDA links U.S. businesses to export opportunities by funding project preparation and partnership building activities that develop sustainable infrastructure and foster economic growth in partner countries.
MEDIA INQUIRIES: Paul Marin | (703) 875-4357
Arlington, VA – Today, the U.S. Trade and Development Agency announced a record-breaking return on investment and the highest since its founding in 1992. USTDA is now generating an average of $117 in U.S. exports for every dollar it programs toward advancing infrastructure projects in emerging markets.
The Agency’s programs have now supported more than $76 billion in U.S. exports, helping companies create good-paying jobs, including small businesses from more than 350 communities across the United States. In fiscal year 2021 alone, USTDA identified more than $2.3 billion in U.S. exports to emerging economies as a result of programming that facilitated early-stage infrastructure development.
“These results speak to USTDA’s unique mission and value proposition to U.S. industry and emerging markets around the world,” said Enoh T. Ebong, USTDA’s Acting Director. “Our goal is to set the standard for the delivery of American foreign assistance, which we are achieving thanks to USTDA’s talented staff, our dedicated overseas partners, and the innovation of U.S. businesses and workers whose ‘Made-in-USA’ solutions are second to none.”
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The U.S. Trade and Development Agency helps companies create U.S. jobs through the export of U.S. goods and services for priority infrastructure projects in emerging economies. USTDA links U.S. businesses to export opportunities by funding project preparation and partnership building activities that develop sustainable infrastructure and foster economic growth in partner countries.
MEDIA INQUIRIES: Paul Marin | (703) 875-4357
Arlington, VA – The U.S. Trade and Development Agency has awarded a technical assistance grant to Quito’s public transit bus operator, Empresa Pública Metropolitana de Transporte de Pasajeros de Quito (EPMTPQ), to help modernize its bus fleet and expand related intelligent transportation system (ITS) technologies in Ecuador’s capital city.
“By helping to replace Quito’s diesel-powered buses with a fleet of electric buses, USTDA is demonstrating its commitment to championing climate-smart transportation solutions around the globe,” said Enoh T. Ebong, USTDA’s Acting Director. “USTDA’s assistance will utilize U.S. private sector expertise to help EPMTPQ identify the right equipment and technologies to enhance the quality and sustainability of their transit bus services.”
USTDA’s technical assistance will assess upgrades to EPMTPQ’s bus fleet and related facilities, including bus stations and bus system control centers. The proposed bus system upgrades and ITS solutions will help to improve the efficiency and enhance the integration of EPMTPQ’s public transit systems, which has handled nearly one million trips per day for the people of Quito.
“The demand for public transport in Quito is recovering, which will require investment in the latest technologies to ensure a modern system that will move our citizens in the safest, most comfortable and most orderly fashion,” said Carlos Poveda, EPMTPQ’s General Manager. “Our partnership with USTDA will allow us to identify cleaner and more efficient urban transportation solutions that will benefit our city and even our planet. We believe that our project will serve as an example for other cities in Ecuador and for the rest of the Andean region. We thank USTDA, the U.S. government and President Biden for your support of our climate priorities.”
This project advances the goals of USTDA’s Global Partnership for Climate-Smart Infrastructure, which connects U.S. industry to major clean transportation and energy infrastructure projects in emerging markets.
U.S. businesses interested in submitting proposals for the USTDA-funded technical assistance should visit www.ustda.gov/work/bid-on-an-overseas-project.
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The U.S. Trade and Development Agency helps companies create U.S. jobs through the export of U.S. goods and services for priority infrastructure projects in emerging economies. USTDA links U.S. businesses to export opportunities by funding project preparation and partnership building activities that develop sustainable infrastructure and foster economic growth in partner countries.
MEDIA INQUIRIES: Paul Marin | (703) 875-4357
Arlington, VA – The U.S. Trade and Development Agency awarded a grant to the Brazilian Association of Electricity Distributors (ABRADEE) for technical assistance to enable large-scale smart grid deployment throughout Brazil.
“USTDA’s assistance will support ABRADEE’s efforts to create an enabling environment for smart grid technologies. Ultimately, this effort will help transform how electricity is distributed to the majority of Brazil’s consumers,” said Enoh T. Ebong, USTDA’s Acting Director. “Our support for this activity reflects USTDA’s commitment to advancing smart and sustainable energy solutions in Brazil, in partnership with U.S. industry.”
USTDA’s technical assistance will assess public policy and economic regulation models to facilitate investments and encourage the modernization of electricity distribution networks across the country. ABRADEE members represent 41 private and public electric distribution companies in Brazil, operating in all regions of the country, and serving 99.8% of Brazilian consumers.
ABRADEE President, Marcos Madureira, said: “USTDA’s grant will provide Brazilian electricity distributors an opportunity to collaborate with U.S. industry and observe how the United States has developed smart grids and regulatory best practices. This will allow us to anticipate potential challenges and identify solutions that will work for Brazil.”
This technical assistance supports the international climate and economic cooperation priorities of the U.S. government, including USTDA’s Global Partnership for Climate-Smart Infrastructure and the U.S.-Brazil Energy Forum.
U.S. businesses interested in submitting proposals for the USTDA-funded technical assistance should visit www.ustda.gov/work/bid-on-an-overseas-project.
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The U.S. Trade and Development Agency helps companies create U.S. jobs through the export of U.S. goods and services for priority infrastructure projects in emerging economies. USTDA links U.S. businesses to export opportunities by funding project preparation and partnership building activities that develop sustainable infrastructure and foster economic growth in partner countries.
MEDIA INQUIRIES: Paul Marin | (703) 875-4357
USTDA Generates Record Results for U.S. Exporters
