About IMVTA

Denis began his career in the international automotive industry following the inception of the NHTSA’s Registered Importer program during the mid- 1990’s. During that time Denis has gained a wealth of knowledge in the areas of rules and regulations with Federal Motor Vehicle Standards, the Clean Air Act as well as various US Customs regulatory requirements. Denis has extensive experience and job knowledge relating to risk management regulations governing the bonding, service insurance policies and contracts relating to the importation of motor vehicles both at the corporate and individual levels.

Ken is a licensed US Customs broker and a graduate of the State University of New York. For four decades Ken has focused on the automotive industry at the OEM and non-OEM levels. As a broker and trade consultant he has successfully achieved beneficial tariff treatment for automotive importers pursuant to numerous free trade agreements and the General Notes of the U.S. Harmonized Tariff Schedules and has worked hands-on with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) and the U.S. EPA. Ken has developed numerous electronic importing trade solutions and has worked with various foreign governments which includes the development and design of the RIV program with Transport Canada and CBSA.

Mr. Riso has worked on Capitol Hill (Washington, D.C.) in public policy for almost four decades, beginning in the mid-1980s with Congressional/lobbying/advocacy expertise (legislative, regulatory, public policy) on Capitol Hill, the regulatory agencies, Administrations (Executive Branch), coalitions, political fundraising, and alliance building and maintenance with allied organizations, including senior association management in Washington, D.C. and the states.

Congressional Career:

• Former Legislative Director to two senior Members of Congress

• Professional Staff Member – Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations, U.S. House of Representatives Committee on Banking

Lobbying Career: Senior/Chief Lobbyist representing the:

• American Mining Congress

• National Aggregates Association

• Maryland Highway Contractors Association

• National Safety Council

• National Association for Industrial Office Parks

• Plumbing-Heating-Cooling Contractors—National Association

• Advocacy USA

As the son of the former U.S. Assistant Secretary of the Interior, Federal CFO and Associate Director of the Office of Management and Budget in the White House, Mark Riso’s passion for advocacy is sincere and driven directly by the influence and dedication of his father.

Steve Franey began his career in Financial Institution banking in 2006, where he started his career at PNC Bank. He gained tremendous amounts of knowledge of the financial industry from depository regulations, to business lending. He currently is the business development and community relations manager at Michigan First Credit Union. Throughout his career, he has assisted many small businesses with their banking needs. Steve has specialized in companies with 10MM in revenues, with a passion for assisting non-profits.

Steve resides in Shelby Twp., MI where he and his better half Alaina, raise their four children, Benjamin, Maximus, Finnigan, and Charlotte. In his free time, he enjoys watching the kids play sports, golfing, and hunting.

Jeffrey has been in the vehicle import business for the last six years as the General Manager of a successful Registered Importer. Through his tenure he constantly expands his knowledge to the rules and regulations in place from both NHTSA/DOT and US Customs. He is dedicated to continue learning, and constantly looking to improve procedures to better comply with all safety and FMVSS standards associated with the NHTSA, US DOT, and the Registered Importer world. He has spent countless hours reading and understanding 49 CFR and FMVSS as it pertains to the registered importer program.

Jeff currently resides in Port Huron Michigan where his passion is work along with some traveling whenever free time comes around. He is proud to have recently joined the board of IMVTA to help with all parties affected in our little world of Car and Truck Importation.

In addition to having practiced law for more than 30 years, Ed is a certified public accountant. This dual background and experience provides his clients a unique insight into business transactions, such as business entity formations, mergers, acquisitions, tax audits and appeals, and general business and tax planning for both profit and non-profit corporations.

Ed has developed industry specialization in health care law, automobile dealer law, governmental contracts, nonprofit and trade association law, procurement law, and alcoholic beverage law for suppliers, wholesalers and retailers.

Sebastian Jones is a professional and great resource in the automotive industry. With eight years of experience, he has established himself as the owner and general manager of Precision Imports, a business specializing in importing, modification, software programming and any reconnaissance on vehicles. Sebastian’s passion for his work extends beyond his own company, as he is deeply committed to addressing the issues surrounding the Registered Importer (RI) community. His primary goal is to ensure that the concerns addressed by IMVTA to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) are effectively and comprehensively resolved. Sebastian’s dedication to the industry is further demonstrated by his invaluable assistance to three Registered Importers in launching their businesses and always looking for improvements in technology and efficiency within the RI community when it comes to tracking, software and operational procedures. He firmly believes in fostering a strong sense of unity within the RI community, encouraging collaboration and support to overcome some the challenges that importers have to face.

My name is Kathy White, proud owner of Jawz Auto Imports. As a business owner I have made many goals and aspirations for not only myself but for our team. Growing as an RI has many challenges. I not only succeeded and made many strides as an RI but have also been awarded business of the year from our local chamber of commerce in 2019. A short time later, in 2021 I was honored by PNC Bank to be highlighted for their national forum for Women Who Achieve. We are very goal driven here as we focus on Customer satisfaction, integrity and following the guidelines and rules set forth from NHTSA. It is priority to educate ourselves and customers in the overall RI processes and regulations. I look forward to assisting IMVTA in progressing further on Capitol Hill with NHTSA and CBP. This opportunity to network amongst our peers and to gain ground in Washington DC is an honor to serve on the board.

My name is Craig Lund and I am the owner/president of Minglewood Importing LLC in Burton, MI. The first experience I had with importing was in 2001 as a buyer for a dealership group in northern Michigan. The combination of my love for wholesale and the live auction combined with the challenge of doing on the spot mileage and currency conversions was a challenge that I thrived on. Over the years I have worked with multiple registered importers and lived through all of the indiscriminate rule changes made by NHTSA and then, very often, revoked by NHTSA. IMVTA was a conversation that I have been a part of since the beginning and I am extremely excited for what I think we can do as an organization. The groundwork being laid in DC right now will serve a significant purpose, and make an enormous difference, for the RI community as a whole. There is much we can look forward to in building this bridge and creating this partnership with our representatives in DC as well as the leadership at NHTSA. As bad as it has seemed at times I truly believe that we can fortify a strong and lasting relationship with NHTSA that will result in streamlined communication, detailed explanations, and collaborative solutions.