OUR CLIENT SOLUTIONS TEAM

Jenae Ciecko has over 20 years of customs and trade management experience and is the President of Copper Hill Copper Hill provides specialized services to its customers in the area of Customs and trade management. Jenae founded Copper Hill with the goal of delivering the ultimate trade solution to its customers. Prior to starting Copper Hill, she held the position of Customs Compliance Manager for Magna. In this position she was the spokesperson for Customs compliance within her organization and convinced a culture built on de-centralization to centralize its customs compliance efforts in the spirit of creating a true culture of compliance for the organization. Jenae is a licensed Customs Broker and is the Corporate License Holder for Copper Hill. She also holds a BBA in Finance from the University of Michigan and an MBA in Strategic Leadership from Walsh College of Business.

Martin Spencer is Executive Vice President, for Copper Hill, resident in the firm’s Detroit office. He has over 20 years of experience managing worldwide import and export compliance programs for multinational corporations in high-volume and time-sensitive industries.

A transformational and strategic compliance executive and operations leader, Mr. Spencer has experience in all aspects of import/export operations and has managed global trade activities for companies in a variety of industries, including automotive, defense, aerospace, healthcare, pharmaceutical, industrial machinery and raw materials. A licensed U.S. customs broker and a certified customs specialist, he has worked extensively in the areas of import and export classification, country of origin marking, duty preference eligibility, duty/fee optimization programs, border operations, post-entry audits, export controls on defense and dual-use goods, economic sanctions, anti-corruption policies, compliance with partner government agency requirements, and training.

Brett Stanaway is the Vice President of Consulting at Copper Hill  He is an experienced Customs Professional with 22 years of experience in the areas of free trade and value reconciliation, drawback, and post entry services.  After graduating from Michigan State University in 1999 earning bachelor’s degree in Marketing, with an influence in Supply Chain Management, he spent the first ten years of his career performing valuation reviews assisting US importers with their Value Reconciliation programs.  He then shifted his focus to Drawback, where he successfully implemented drawback programs by assisting importers with the preparation of their drawback applications and filing drawback entries for refunds.  For the past eight years, he has worked with numerous companies to implement and maintain processes that monitor the accuracy of their US imports.  In this capacity, he developed processes to identify compliance risks and opportunities for refunds.  Brett and his team of Customs Compliance Professionals at Copper Hill enjoy working with clients to conduct US entry audits, Free Trade Agreement Reconciliation, Value Reconciliation, Post Summary Corrections, Protests, and Voluntary Self Disclosures.  In his spare time, he enjoys spending time with his family, exploring the great state of Michigan, attending travel baseball games, watching his daughter perform in children’s musicals, riding ORVs, and playing golf.

Hayley Dege is Vice President of FTA Operations for Copper Hill, resident in the firm’s Detroit office. She has over 18 years of experience in customs and trade management consulting. Her expertise is with Free Trade Agreement qualification and country of origin determination as well as supplier solicitation. She gained the majority of her knowledge by working directly with a major automotive supplier as a client early in her career. Since then, Hayley has worked with a wide range of clientele and commodities ensuring compliant FTA determination for an extensive variety of trade programs. In 2020 she was an integral part of the implementation of USMCA for all of Copper Hill’s clients, overseeing the execution and conformity with the new requirements.

Hayley is a Licensed Customs Broker and received a Bachelor of Business Administration degree from Eastern Michigan University.

As Vice President of Brokerage Operations, Julissa is responsible for the oversight, development, and growth of Copper Hill’s Customs Brokerage Operation.  With over 18 years of experience managing Trade Compliance Programs and Brokerage Operations, Julissa is a wealth of knowledge. She has significant experience managing compliance programs for multinational companies in varying industries including automotive, heavy equipment, and industrial machinery. Most recently she served as Global Customs Compliance Manager for an automotive original equipment manufacturer, where she was responsible for oversight of North American Import/export activity, compliance with applicable regulatory requirements, and standardization of global partner supply chain requirements.

Julissa is a licensed Customs Broker and holds a BA in International Studies: Business Management from the University of Michigan.

In her spare time, Julissa plays competitive tennis and less competitive golf.

Ms. Hernandez has over a decade of experience in trade compliance, which she is excited to leverage for Copper Hill clients. Ms. Hernandez has experience supporting clients throughout various industries, including apparel, electronics, machinery, natural gas, consumer goods, pharmaceuticals, automotive, and manufacturing. Her diverse experience not only benefits a wide variety of clients but also has given her the insight and strategies to tackle future challenges.

Ms. Hernandez has supported core compliance components such as classification, country of origin, free trade agreements, duty drawback, post-entry audit, broker management, and CTPAT. As a licensed customs broker and certified customs specialist, Hernandez brings with her extensive experience in managing large teams with an emphasis on effective global collaboration. She will be responsible for ensuring Copper Hill clients have up-to-date information on global classification standards, are able to maintain compliance through accurate classification, and communicate this information seamlessly to their Customs Broker. Prior to joining Copper Hill Inc., Kathleen was leading the US and CA import/export compliance program for AS America Inc., a part of Lixil.

In this role, Homero will lead the sales and marketing teams, helping our customers expand and grow with Copper Hill. With over 15 years of experience in global trade management, he brings a deep and comprehensive understanding of this industry.

Throughout his career, he has led development, implementation, sales, and solutions consulting teams all in the global trade space. In his previous position, leading the national solutions consulting team for a multi-national tax and trade software provider, Homero was responsible for creating a multi-product team with deep regulatory and technical expertise focusing on bringing value-based solutions to customers.

Homero is a graduate of la Universidad Nuevo Mundo in Mexico City, where he received his BS Degree in Information Systems.

Cindy Gartz has over 36 years of experience in accounting and finance. Throughout her career, Cindy has worked in both accounting and financial auditing and has developed expertise in growing small to medium-sized businesses as a controller. Cindy currently serves Copper Hill as the controller, manages accounting operations and billing, and oversees trade compliance training. She has a passion for numbers and ensuring compliance within Copper Hill, so that we can ensure compliance for our clients.

Mary Cagle is an experienced, former U.S. Customs auditor and can assist clients through a variety of services.  Her experience allows her to conduct mock Customs audits to aid clients in general trade compliance improvements, risk assessments, or prior to official Customs audits to ensure zero surprises along the way.    She also preps clients for Customs interviews, Customs expectations, and will act as the buffer between Customs auditors and clients during Customs audits.
Mrs. Cagle spent the first 10 years of her career working as a U.S. Customs auditor in the Charlotte, North Carolina Field Office.  She then transitioned to the manufacturing industry and worked for an importer managing the relationships with the brokerage firms.  From there she spent years working as a Customs auditor/consultant for an international law firm and also at a consulting practice.  Mary joined the Copper Hill team in February 2021.  She obtained a BSBA Accounting Degree from Appalachian State University in Boone, North Carolina in 2004.  In 2005, she obtained her MBA Accounting Emphasis from Winthrop University, located in Rock Hill, South Carolina. In 2015, Mary became a Licensed Customs Broker.

As Director of Operations for Copper Hill Europe, Agnieszka has oversight of the company’s European operations, strategic initiatives, and growth in the region.  With over 12 years of experience in Customs & Trade Compliance, she’s developed and managed programs for multinational companies in various industries in the EMEA region. She has significant experience in the areas of global FTA Management, duty optimization and savings opportunities, post declaration audits, Harmonized Tariff Classification, process integration, and GTM Systems implementation.  Agnieszka holds a MA in International Trade and Post graduate studies in Management and Logistics.  She is a Licensed Customs Broker, and speaks English, Russian and Polish.

Daniel Cruz has over 15 years of experience in foreign trade. His expertise is with Free Trade Agreement qualification, country of origin determination, supplier solicitation, managing multiple worldwide trade agreements, fiscal warehouse, classification, IMMEX, pre-entry audit, post-entry audit, and broker management.

Throughout his career, Daniel has worked for a wide range of different industry sectors, such as automotive, aerospace, healthcare, medical, and pharma, getting experience and leading teams for the various requirements that each industry demands.

Daniel has an International Bachelor Degree in International Business Administration from Tecnologico de Monterrey.

Michael Yates is the IT Director for Copper Hill, Inc where he oversees the design, development, and management of Copper Hill and Point Trade Services’ internal software systems and technical infrastructure. His experienced team of engineers provides process automation and efficiency tools, data storage solutions, and client integration support.

Mr. Yates joined Copper Hill in 2022 and has been creating software solutions in the Customs and global trade management field since 2010. He holds a B.S. in Computer Science from the University of Michigan.

Eric Berry supervises a wide range of programs, leveraging his broad knowledge of program management principles and a strategic mindset to lead and develop team members.

He is a Licensed Customs Broker who provides foreign-trade zone consulting with the goals of achieving excellence in the areas of compliance and operational efficiency for Copper Hill’s clients.

Mr. Berry is experienced in providing consulting services related to the preparation of foreign-trade zone feasibility analyses, compliance reviews, prior disclosures, review and development of procedure manuals, FTZ activation and CBP security surveys, research for other zone related studies, and project management. He also has experience administering the day-to-day operations of foreign-trade zones. His operational experience includes FTZ admissions, transfers, adjustments, shipments, systems reviews, reconciliation, and issue troubleshooting and resolution. With a customer service mindset, he collaborates with the Sales and Marketing Division to support Copper Hill’s growth.

Mr. Berry has a B.A. in Business Administration from Huntingdon College including concentrated studies in marketing and international business, as well as a Master of Divinity from Asbury Theological Seminary.

Mr. Berry is an Accredited Zone Specialist and an active member of the NAFTZ, serving on the Board of Directors.

As the Director of Zone Operations, Bill Anderson provides strategic guidance to team members and is responsible for the overall management, direction, control and completion of foreign-trade zone operations for client projects.

Mr. Anderson has experience in a variety of FTZ manufacturing environments. He stays up to date on regulatory changes in the foreign-trade zone and trade and customs industry to guide his team to excellence in daily operations. Mr. Anderson also actively maintains an excellent working relationship with all key contacts related to his projects.

A Licensed Customs Broker, Mr. Anderson holds a B.S. in Finance from Illinois State University, and is a member of the NAFTZ.

Irving is the Director of FTA Operations for Copper Hill, resident in the firm’s Detroit office. Irving is a US Licensed Customs Broker and has been in the global trade compliance industry for over 15 years with experience in a wide variety of areas including, free trade agreements, origin determination, classification, AD/CVD compliance, US import compliance, US customs brokerage operations, and on-site/in-house customs advisory. Upon joining Copper Hill, Irving has mainly been responsible for onboarding new clients and providing support and guidance when transitioning from existing processes or tools into a new trade compliance solution.

Irving is fluent in Spanish and graduated from the University of Detroit Mercy with a Bachelor’s Degree in Business Administration and a concentration in International Business. Irving enjoys smiling, making others smile, dancing, eating, and playing sports without getting injured.

Ardene Howard is the Director of Client Services for Copper Hill Inc, residing near the firm’s Michigan office. Ardene has experience in many aspects of import operations and compliance and has managed global trade activities for numerous companies. Ardene is a licensed U.S. customs broker and a certified customs specialist, with over 35 years in the areas of import classification, country of origin marking, free trade eligibility, cost saving programs, border operations, post-entry audits, importer self-assessment programs, compliance with other government agency requirements, process development/implementation and training. Ardene has also worked as a Liaison between IT and operations, supporting with system requirements and creating new trade compliance software solutions.

Andrew Murray is an Account Manager and licensed customs broker at Copper Hill with over 10 years of experience in the Trade Compliance industry.  Andrew has an extensive background in operations within the Free Trade Agreement world as well as experience in import classification, duty preference eligibility, duty optimization programs, and post entry, as well as other areas.  With a customer service mindset, he collaborates with the Sales and Marketing teams to support Copper Hill’s growth.

Jacqueline Davis is a Program Manager in the Client Solutions department, specializing in foreign-trade zones.  Ms. Davis is experienced in zone implementation, compliance reviews, project management, administration of FTZ operations, and preparation of feasibility analyses. She stays up to date on CBP regulatory changes in the FTZ and trade industry and strives to maintain excellence in client relations. With a customer service mindset, she collaborates with the Sales and Marketing teams to support Copper Hill’s growth.

Ms. Davis has a B.S. in Psychology from Florida State University.

Brandi Stoddard, Program Manager of FTZ Managed Services provides strategic compliance leadership to team members and is responsible for overseeing foreign-trade zone operations. Brandi also manages consulting projects related to foreign-trade zone Application & Activation activities.

Brandi has broad experience with every aspect of the FTZ program including FTZ Board application activities, CBP Activation projects, FTZ Software Implementations and FTZ manufacturing and distribution operations amongst many types of industries. Brandi formerly served as a senior consultant and project manager for 7 years prior to her joining the Copper Hill team. She stays up to date on CBP regulatory changes in the foreign-trade zone and trade industry and strives to maintain excellence in client relations.

Brandi holds a BA in Industrial Anthropology from Eastern Michigan University, and is a member of the NAFTZ.

Anna is the Senior Trade Compliance Manager for Copper Hill’s European office, based in Poland. Anna has over two decades of experience in all aspects of trade and customs compliance. She managed EMEA customs processes for global companies in a variety of industries, including automotive, pharma, medical equipment, industrial machinery, and raw materials.

Anna is a Licensed Customs Broker and has a degree in Economics from Upper Silesian School of Commerce in Katowice.

Leticia Galindez is a Sr Program Manager, for Copper Hill Inc. – Brokerage Entry Operations.  Leticia brings over 23 years of Customs Brokerage experience importing for multinational corporations in a high-paced, time-sensitive industry.   Leticia began her career specializing in carrier, PAPS, on-site border releases before moving over to various leadership roles managing air, ocean, and rail imports all while working closely with U.S. Customs to ensure compliance on behalf of her customers.  Leticia has an extensive background in managing Customs exams, Emergency Action Notification (EAN’s), and overseeing fumigations.

Robin Sablan is a Sr. Program Manager in the Brokerage Operations department and has extensive experience in managing foreign-trade zones and supply chain logistics. She stays up to date on CBP regulatory changes in the trade industry and aims to maintain excellence in client relations. With over 25 years of experience in banking, finance and trade compliance, Ms. Sablan can assist clients with a variety of situations.

Ms. Sablan holds a B.S. in Business Administration from Florida State University.

Dan Quinn is the Program Manager of Classification at Copper Hill. He is an experienced Customs Professional with almost 13 years of experience in the areas of import/export classification. After graduating from Western Michigan University in 2009 with a Bachelor of Business Administration in Finance, he spent the first 11 years of his career performing classification research, analysis and review for a wide variety of products and industries, including automotive, healthcare, textile, industrial machinery, raw materials, and aerospace. Dan has also conducted ongoing training and development of our employees.

Ann McDonald-Hintze, Senior Integration Advisor at Copper Hill, is a Trade Compliance Professional with 27 years of experience, has been a Licensed Customs Broker since 1997, and received her undergraduate degree from Michigan State University.

Throughout her career, Ann has developed extensive expertise in tariff classification, FTA eligibility analysis and other duty optimization programs, US country of origin marking regulations, and has developed and managed the first phase of a large drawback program for an OEM at the initial USCBP implementation of TFTEA.  While developing and managing global and regional service centers to perform key trade compliance functions, she drew upon her ability to establish standards and remove waste from any process.

Ann has successfully worked in partnership with IT professionals to design and implement Customs and International Trade Systems in the U.S., Canada, Mexico, Korea, Brazil, Argentina and the U.A.E. and is currently assisting Copper Hill clients as they transition from existing processes and tools into new trade compliance software solutions.

In both her personal and professional life, Ann is a naturally curious person who enjoys sharing her knowledge and skills with others.

Pablo has more than 12 years of experience in Trade Management, specifically in Free Trade Agreements and special programs like origin determinations and other regulations related to origin for North America and LATAM regions, interacting with sectors like automotive, textile, chemical, railway, electrical among others. During his career he has managed process implementation and processes improvement in qualification, solicitation and classification processes working with multiple areas globally.

Pablo has supported global training programs and system implementations, working with users, gathering system requirements.

Marc Rauth is a Program Manager in the Post Entry department. He has 12 years of experience in the global trade compliance industry specializing in Customs valuation, FTA and Value Reconciliation, post entry projects, PSC and protest filing, Section 232 and 301 policies, mitigation guidelines for penalties and liquidated damages, HTS classification, and FTA processes. Marc has experience providing services to clients in a variety of industries including aerospace, automotive, electronics, energy, healthcare, manufacturing, and transportation. Marc holds a B.A. in Finance from Michigan State University.

Kevin Flynn is a Program Manager that is responsible for managing accounts, onboarding new acquisitions and assisting with system transitions.  Kevin has 20 years of experience in the Trade Compliance Industry and has an extensive background in free trade agreements and country of origin marking.  Prior to joining Copper Hill, Kevin managed various compliance teams and several tier 1 customers with a focus on strengthening processes and improving customer/client relations.  Kevin also worked as a Liaison between IT and operations, supporting with system requirements and creating new trade compliance software solutions.  Kevin is excited to build and facilitate long term partnerships by focusing on our customers immediate needs and working together to achieve long-term goals.

As Program Manager of the Zone Operations division, Chuck Huffman oversees team members in managing zones for both the Manufacturing and Distribution sectors, overseeing day to day operations as well as providing guidance on complex questions from existing clients. He is instrumental in new client implementations and resource allocation to ensure excellent customer service.

Mr. Huffman has a B.S.in Criminology from Florida State University.

Nicole Feightner is a Program Manager of the Zone Operations department. She is responsible for the development and compliance of projects and team members for both the FTZ Manufacturing and Distribution sectors. Ms. Feightner began her career with PointTrade Services, Inc. in 2013, where she advanced from the Team Leader and Project Manager positions.

During her tenure with Copper Hill, Ms. Feightner has assisted with the success of its FTZ projects including new client implementations, software systems implementation, developing processes, and optimizing zone operations.
Ms. Feightner has a B.S. in Business Administration from Florida State University.

Allan Schuman is a Program Manager at Copper Hill, Inc where assists in building and maintaining Copper Hill internal software systems and technical infrastructure. He comes from a Customs Compliance background that includes Classification, Broker Management, CTPAT, Denied Party Screening and more.
Mr. Schuman joined Copper Hill in 2017, and has been in the Customs Compliance industry since 2008.
He holds a B.A. in Journalism from Central Michigan University.

Andrew Mrazek is a Program Manager in the Zone Operations department. Specializing in foreign trade zone administration for both the manufacturing and distribution sectors, he amassed over 7 years’ experience in FTZ reporting requirements and processes, CBP regulations, compliance, project management, zone implementations, and leadership.

As a Program Manager, he oversees multiple teams of zone administrators and multiple FTZ projects while actively maintaining an excellent working relationship with all key contacts related to his projects.

Mr. Mrazek has a B.S. in Criminology from Florida State University

Danielle Diecmann is a Program Manager in the Zone Operations department. Specializing in foreign trade zone administration, she amassed over 8 years’ experience in FTZ reporting requirements and processes, CBP regulations, compliance, project management, zone implementations, and leadership.
As a Program Manager, she oversees multiple teams of zone administrators and multiple FTZ projects, focusing on the daily operations, zone compliance, client’s goals and expectations, zone savings opportunities, implementation projects, and team member development.
Ms. Chizmar has a B.S. in Psychology from Troy University.

Nick Sbroglia is the Export Control Program Manager for Copper Hill. Nick has over 12 years of export compliance experience. He provides export compliance guidance and review through investigation and risk assessment for international clients in various industries. Nick has an extensive background in many areas of export compliance including classification, licensing, USML/ITAR review, restricted party screening, red-flag guidance, Voluntary Self Disclosures, deemed exports, de minimis rules and many other risk areas.

Nick holds a B.A. in English and Political Science from the University of Michigan and a J.D. from the Michigan State University College of Law.

In this role, Jessica works to align employee performance and goals with the culture and business needs of Copper Hill.  She works with all levels in the organization to plan and execute training programs.  Her 10 years of trade compliance experience helps to facilitate these programs and enable employee growth in the industry.

In addition to global trade, Jessica has spent 15 years developing multiple learning levels through instruction, curriculum design, and assessment in secondary education.  As an educator, she taught writing and public speaking, as well as collaborated with colleagues to improve instructional methods.

Jessica is a graduate of Wayne State University, where she received a B.A. in English, and has also earned a Teaching Certificate of English in Secondary Education from Eastern Michigan University.

In her spare time, she enjoys the outdoors with her family, gardening, and reading historical biographies.

Emily Larson is the Sales Operations Manager for Copper Hill Inc. Emily works to improve and impact sales productivity, is a liaison between our sales team and the finance department and creates processes that ensure our client’s needs are being met at the highest standard possible. She has experience with foreign and domestic finance as well as accounts receivable, billing and collections.

Emily attended Central Michigan University where she earned a bachelor’s degree in communications. Emily has three children, enjoys cooking for her family, socializing with friends, and being outside during the (short) Michigan summers.

Leah Kosanke is Copper Hill’s Talent Acquisition Manager. In this role she works with multiple departments, analyzes current and future staffing needs, and seeks out qualified candidates to ensure positive growth at Copper Hill. Prior to this role, Leah gained knowledge of the industry in her customs analyst and senior analyst positions within Copper Hill’s FTA team. Prior to Copper Hill, Leah’s diverse background spans from producing NBC affiliate nightly news to leading project management for an international government contract company. Leah received her Master’s of Communication from Grand Valley State University, and her Bachelor’s of Science from Central Michigan University. In her free time, she enjoys the outdoors, reading, snowboarding, and spending time with her family.

As Marketing Coordinator, Amy Slusser uses her 14 years in the FTZ Managed Services industry to promote Copper Hill’s breadth of services through a variety of means, including industry conferences, Copper Hill’s website and via social media. She works hand in hand with the Operations team to promote an exceptional workplace, leading company forums and events.

Ms. Slusser has a B.S. in Business Marketing from Florida State University.