The World Trade Center of Greater Philadelphia (WTCGP) announced that Linda M. Conlin has been named President of the organization. Ms. Conlin has extensive experience in international trade, public policy and business development and has most recently served as Vice Chair and First Vice President of the Export-Import Bank of the United States in Washington, DC.

The Export-Import Bank is an independent agency of the US Government with a mission of growing US exports through the provision of direct and indirect trade financing for small and medium sized businesses in addition to large corporate, sovereign and project finance transactions. Linda oversaw a $57 billion portfolio and served as a member of the agency's Board of Directors and chaired the Bank's Audit Committee. She was also recognized for expanding the Bank's program to accelerate financing of environmentally beneficial and renewable energy exports.

Ms. Conlin served previously as Assistant Secretary for Trade Development with the US Department of Commerce, where she directed a program of industry sector offices, comprised of 370 industry experts, to identify market opportunities, address market barriers and advocate for US businesses for the purpose of helping them compete and thrive in the global marketplace. Linda served as Executive Director of New Jersey's Commerce and Economic Growth Commission from 1994 to 1999, where she directed the state's efforts to drive economic growth through the expansion of the travel industry sector under the Whitman Administration.

Linda has held many other relevant and responsible career positions with the US Travel and Tourism Administration, the US Department of State, and the US Information Agency (USIA). In her early career, she built her own business, Park-Main Travel Agency, into one of New England's premier travel agencies. She is a graduate of the University of Massachusetts.

Ms. Conlin joins the WTCGP on June 1, 2009 as the organization's president succeeding Joanna Savvides, who announced her retirement in November. Joanna was the founding president of the organization and was instrumental in its conceptualization, creation and growth.

The WTCGP is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit whose mission is to provide a world-class portfolio of services to drive international trade growth and lead the Greater Philadelphia region to economic prosperity. The WTCGP offers one-on-one trade counseling, market research, educational seminars and trade missions to over 400 area small and medium-sized businesses. Since its inception in 2002, the WTCGP has helped hundreds of companies attain over $342 million in incremental exports'creating over 4,400 new jobs.