Todd C. Owen is the former Executive Assistant Commissioner, U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP), Office of Field Operations (OFO).  As the senior executive for the Office of Field Operations for over 5 years, Mr. Owen was responsible for all operations at the 328 ports of entry in the United States, as well as overseas operations in 32 countries.  At these ports of entry, the OFO mission was directed toward counter terrorism, narcotics interdiction, facilitating lawful trade and travel, trade enforcement to include agricultural protections, and admissibility determinations of arriving and departing border crossers.  Mr. Owen oversaw an annual budget of $6.5 billion, and a workforce of 31,250 employees, of which 25,550 were sworn law enforcement officers, making OFO the largest law enforcement agency in the country.  He retired from federal service in August 2020, with over 30 years of dedicated service in CBP and U.S. Customs.

*Notable Client Accomplishments

  • Served as an Expert Witness for a major wearing apparel/footwear importer, for an intellectual property rights civil lawsuit under the Lanham Act.
  • Helped a Fortune 500 medical technology company regain their standing in the CTPAT program after having been removed for failing to meet the Trade Compliance requirements.
  • Assisted a major air carrier in designing and implementing alternative cargo clearance processes specific to the rapid growth in e-Commerce.
  • Provided guidance on CBP port operations and navigating the CBP organizational structure and bureaucracy for multiple importers and exporters.
  • Assisted several technology providers in responding to Requests for Proposals issued by CBP and DHS.
  • Resolved a southwest border trucking and cabotage issue for a mid-size importer of manufactured goods assembled in Mexico.
  • Helped individuals appeal their removal from the Global Entry program.

Honors and Awards

  • 2017 Presidential Rank Award for Meritorious Service. Awarded by the President for Meritorious Service in the ranks of the Senior Executive Service, for outstanding leadership while performing the duties of the Executive Assistant Commissioner, CBP.
  • 2006 The Department of Homeland Security’s Silver Medal Award. The second highest award given in DHS, in recognition of exceptionally meritorious service to DHS for developing and implementing cargo security programs across CBP.

Education

  • Master’s Degree, Public Administration, St. Thomas University, Miami, FL.
  • Bachelor’s Degree, Political Science, John Carroll University, Cleveland, OH.