Jonathan Gold, of the NRF, will now serve as an adviser for the global supply chain.
The National Retail Federation (NRF) has announced that Jonathan Gold, vice president for supply chain and customs policy, has been appointed to the Department of Commerce’s Advisory Committee on Supply Chain Competitiveness.
Established in 2011, the committee consists of 45 senior-level private sector supply chain experts and industry representatives who advise Commerce, the Transportation Department and other government agencies on supply chain issues that affect the international competitiveness of U.S. businesses.
“I’m honored by this appointment,” Gold said. “The global supply chain is critical to the success of any retailer, as well as the overall economy. This committee plays an important role in not only identifying ongoing challenges, but also developing solutions to ensure the competitiveness of American companies. As the nation’s largest private-sector employer, it is critical that the retail industry’s supply chain works as efficiently as possible in order to provide consumers with a wide range of product choices on a daily basis.”
At NRF, Gold is responsible for representing the retail industry before Congress and the administration on supply chain, international trade and customs-related issues impacting the retail industry. In this role he led NRF’s efforts in support of passage of the Trade Promotion Authority and approval of the Trans-Pacific Partnership, traveled to Bangladesh to assess improvements in worker safety, helped convince the White House to intervene in last year’s West Coast ports slowdown, and has been a leading advocate of the value of trade and imports to the U.S. economy.
Prior to joining NRF in 2007, Gold served as a policy analyst in the Office of Policy and Planning for U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP). He joined CBP in May 2006 and was responsible for providing policy guidance on issues surrounding maritime cargo security and trade-related matters. Gold also worked on implementation issues surrounding the SAFE Port Act and other issues within the agency including CBP intelligence reform, pandemic flu and trade facilitation.
Gold has served in several leadership positions influencing supply chain and customs policy over the past 15 years. He was appointed to the Departmental Advisory Committee on Commercial Operations of Customs and Border Protection and Related Homeland Security Functions in January 2005. He also served on the International Trade Advisory Committee on Distribution Services, which is responsible for advising the federal government on trade negotiations. Gold currently serves on the board of directors of the Waterfront Coalition.
NRF is the world’s largest retail trade association, representing discount and department stores, home goods and specialty stores, Main Street merchants, grocers, wholesalers, chain restaurants and Internet retailers from the U.S. and more than 45 countries. Retail is the nation’s largest private sector employer, supporting one in four U.S. jobs — 42 million working Americans. Contributing $2.6 trillion to annual GDP, retail is a daily barometer for the nation’s economy. NRF’s This is Retail campaign highlights the industry’s opportunities for life-long careers, how retailers strengthen communities and the critical role that retail plays in driving innovation.
