Ronald May

Prior to his Attaché post, Mr. May served in leadership positions in the CBP Customs-Trade Partnership Against Terrorism (CTPAT) program, both at CBP Headquarters and in the field. In 2004, in the CTPAT program’s early years, Mr. May was hired as one of the first Supply Chain Security Specialists at U.S. CBP Headquarters in Washington, DC. In 2005, he was promoted to the position of Director for the DC CTPAT Field Office. Since then, Mr. May has served multiple terms as Acting Director of the CTPAT Program, and in 2007 he was selected to be the first Director of the newly created Buffalo, New York CTPAT Field Office, one of the highest trade volume ports on the U.S./Canada border.

While serving in the CTPAT Program, Mr. May conducted and supervised validation activities for member companies around the world and helped develop the World Customs Organization (WCO) SAFE Framework of Standards to Secure and Facilitate Global Trade (SAFE Framework). During this time, Mr. May helped establish Mutual Recognition Arrangements for trusted trader programs with the governments of New Zealand, Israel, Jordan, India, Canada, the European Union, and several individual EU nations.

One of Mr. May’s most significant achievements was coordinating with the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) and European Union border authorities to harmonize their trusted trader programs with U.S. CTPAT. In 2006, Mr. May received the CBP ‘Commissioner’s Award’ for his contributions to the WCO SAFE Framework of Standards. He also received the World Customs Organization Award in 2006 and 2015 for similar contributions in advancing global supply chain security.

Mr. May began his career as a U.S. Customs Inspector at the Port of Detroit, Michigan. He later served at ports of operation for nearly 20 years in Houston, Toronto and Toledo, Ohio. Throughout his career, Mr. May has been involved in numerous facets of port operations in the land, air, and maritime environments. This includes pre-clearance, cargo security operations, Contraband Enforcement Teams (CET), firearms training, Anti- Terrorism Units, community outreach, and as an Instructor at the Federal Law Enforcement Training Center (FLETC) in Glynco, Georgia. This diverse experience provides Mr. May with deep knowledge not only of U.S. CBP operations, but global customs processes, policies and procedures, and international relations.

Prior to his time with CBP, Mr. May was a Correctional Officer for the State of Ohio. He has a Bachelor’s Degree of Arts in Criminal Justice from Baldwin-Wallace University and a Master’s in Business Management from New England College.