Mr. Bastian joined the Department of Commerce in 1974, where he has held a number of positions dealing with the economic and commercial development of Latin America. In his present capacity, he is responsible for developing programs, policies and strategies designed to strengthen the United States’ commercial position in the Western Hemisphere.
Prior to his current assignment, Mr. Bastian headed the Office of Latin America and the Caribbean and established and directed the Latin America/Caribbean Business Development Center. The Center was responsible for transforming the Caribbean Basin Initiative, the Andean Trade Preference Act and the Enterprise for the Americas Initiative into business opportunities for U.S. firms.
Before joining the Department, Mr. Bastian worked in the corporate trust department of a Washington bank and served as an intelligence officer in the U.S. Air Force.
Mr. Bastian graduated from Georgetown University in Washington, D.C., with a B.S. in Foreign Service and received an M.A. from Creighton University in Omaha, Nebraska. He has written articles on U.S.-Latin American trade, organized and led trade and investment missions to Latin America and the Caribbean and lectured widely on business development strategies in the Hemisphere.