Category 3: Using Innovation, Data, and Breaking Down Organizational Barriers
OFFICE OF INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY, CARGO SYSTEMS PROGRAM DIRECTORATE
U.S. Customs and Border Protection
U.S. Department of Homeland Security
Tom Mills
Executive Director
Valla Olliver
Deputy Executive Director
Renee Messalle
Director
Jyothsna Charagundla
Director
Priya Livingstone
Director
Matt Corazza
Director
Shaq Ullah
Agile Team Lead
Tom Pilcher
IT Specialist
Arnie Buratty
IT Specialist
Syed Ahamed
Supervisory IT Specialist
Autumn Maxey
IT Specialist
Manisha Migliani
IT Specialist
Patrick Metcalf
Director
Chris Liberty
IT Specialist
Paul Nugent
IT Specialist
Hema Bhalla
IT Specialist
Hari Gangavarapu
IT Specialist
Chris Jerussi
IT Specialist
Sameer Khakurel
IT Specialist
Hiwot Chapman
IT Specialist
Shiva Badia
Lead IT Specialist
Doug Burton
Supervisory IT Specialist
Rajesh Ambhore
IT Specialist
Maelee Byram
Senior Programmer
Steven Lubel
IT Specialist
The U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) Cargo Systems Program Directorate (CSPD) Team is being honored in Category 3: Using Innovation, Data, and Breaking Down Organizational Barriers for their rapid, high-impact updates to the Automated Commercial Environment (ACE), enabling timely implementation of evolving trade policies and generating an additional $200 million in daily revenue.
ACE, CBP’s primary system for import/export reporting and revenue collection, supports more than $3.3 trillion in annual imports and is used by 49 partner agencies to streamline trade processing. In 2024-2025, the CSPD team worked around the clock to meet the demands of 13 trade-related presidential actions, implementing complex system changes without disruption, all while maintaining compliance and efficiency across 100,000 daily transactions.
Their efforts not only supported national economic security and revenue generation, but also positioned the United States for stronger trade negotiations and better protection of American businesses. The team’s dedication exemplifies the critical role of digital innovation in executing fast-moving federal policy.