Mullen takes over international affairs at CBP
U.S. Customs and Border Protection has quietly shifted Michael Mullen, its top policy assistant, to take the place of Keith Thomson, assistant commissioner for international affairs.
Mullen presided Thursday at the quarterly meeting of the Department of Homeland Security's Commercial Operations Advisory Committee, which was held in New York.
Afterwards Mullen said Thomson retired in mid-September to spend more time with his family. But several industry members of COAC said Thomson stepped down because he is being treated for cancer.
Thomson, who is married to former Congresswoman Jennifer Dunn, R-Wash., is still doing some consulting work for Commissioner Ralph Basham, Mullen said.
Thomson played a large role in coordinating the development and implementation of global supply chain security standards by the World Customs Organization.
Will Houston is the new director of the Office of Policy and Planning, a staff position within the commissioner's office responsible for coordinating planning, measuring performance of agency programs and conducting statistical analysis. Houston worked at the National Counterterrorism Center under National Intelligence Director John Negroponte, and before that at a large management consulting firm. He has been on the job several weeks while Mullen floated around the agency waiting for his appointment to go through.
This is the third position that Mullen, CBP's jack-of-all-trades, has held since joining the agency a little more than two years ago, and the second time he has stepped into Thomson’s shoes.
Mullen came out of the private sector to replace Thomson as director of the Office of Trade Relations in 2004 after Thomson was promoted to head the Office of International Affairs.
Basham has moved the Office of Trade Relations out of his office and assigned responsibility for the office to Mullen, whose full title is assistant commissioner for international affairs and trade relations. Russell Ugone is the director of trade relations and acts as the agency's ombudsman in dealing with the import-export industry.
Mullen takes over international affairs at CBP
