President Obama taps Alan Bersin to lead CBP as agency commissioner

The nomination of Southwest border czar Alan Bersin as commissioner of U.S. Customs and Border Protection would be good news for trade along the border if he is confirmed, said J.B. Manson, chairman of the Greater Nogales Santa Cruz County Port Authority.

“He is somebody that knows the border, knows the process,” Manson said. “I believe if he is confirmed it would mean a smooth relationship between trade and CBP.”

In a press release, Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Janet Napolitano Tuesday applauded President Barack Obama’s intent to nominate Bersin �“ now serving as DHS Assistant Secretary for International Affairs and Special Representative for Border Affairs.

“Under Alan’s leadership over the past several months, we have forged new international and domestic partnerships along our borders to strengthen security,” said Napolitano. “I look forward to continuing to work with Alan in his new position, where he will lead the department’s efforts to implement practical, innovative solutions to protect our country from threats to our national and economic security and facilitate legitimate travel and trade.”

Former Nogales Mayor Marco Antonio Lopez Jr., who is now chief of staff for CBP, said in a telephone interview on Wednesday, “I’ve been working closely with (Bersin) since April. He is a man that is very passionate and understands the balance between trade and security.

“One of the most important tasks of that job is working every day to maintain that balance. He does it by building relationships and partnerships with stakeholders on both sides of the border,” Lopez said.

Since joining the department in mid-April, Bersin has led efforts to implement President Obama’s Southwest Border Initiative.

As CBP Commissioner, “Bersin will lead DHS efforts to secure America’s borders while overseeing the enforcement of immigration, customs and drug laws. He will manage more than 57,000 CBP employees working to secure U.S. land and maritime borders,” according to the press release.

Prior to joining the Obama Administration, Bersin was Board Chairman of the San Diego County Regional Airport Authority, appointed in December 2006. He served from 2005-2006 as California’s Secretary of Education, appointed by Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, and previously oversaw the nation’s eighth-largest urban school district from 1998-2005 as superintendent of public education in San Diego.

Bersin also served as U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of California from 1993 to 1998. Concurrently, he was appointed as Special Representative for the Southwest Border in 1995 by former Attorney General Janet Reno and, in that capacity, oversaw the coordination of border law enforcement along the U.S.-Mexico border for three years.

As a law enforcement official, educator and civil servant, Bersin’s previous positions include Special Counsel to the Los Angeles Police Commission, visiting professor at the University of San Diego School of Law, and lecturer at Stanford University Graduate School of Education.

He holds a B.A. from Harvard University, a J.D. from Yale University and was a Rhodes Scholar.