Tasha Reid Hippolyte, Ph.D.

Mrs. Tasha Reid Hippolyte, Ph.D. is the Deputy Assistant Secretary for Trade Policy, Trade and Economic Security at the Office of Strategy, Policy, and Plans, U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS). DHS Trade Policy develops strategy, policy, and procedure to facilitate lawful trade and enforce U.S. trade laws.

Previously, she worked as the Chief of Staff in the Office of Field Operations (OFO), U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP). She led a Front Office team in support of the Executive Assistant Commissioner and Deputy Executive Commissioner who direct a staff of 32,000+ and a $6.5 billion annual budget for CBP ports of entry operations along with other programs that address the facilitation of lawful travel and trade. Mrs. Hippolyte also served as the Director of the Africa, Middle East, and Central Asia (AMECA) Division in the CBP Office of International Affairs (INA). In this capacity, she advanced agreements and engagements for CBP with AMECA countries to include technical assistance and information sharing for international trade and travel.

Mrs. Hippolyte began her career with CBP in 2006 as an Outstanding Scholar. Since that time, she has held a number of positions to include: Acting Executive Director for Trade Policy and Programs in the Office of Trade, International Affairs Liaison to the Office of Congressional Affairs, and the INA World Customs Organization SAFE Framework Capacity Building Team Lead. She was instrumental in assisting the South African Revenue Service with developing their border security strategy and action plan in preparation for the Federation International of Football Association (FIFA) World Cup in South Africa. 

Mrs. Hippolyte received a Master of Arts in Public Administration from Howard University where she also earned a Ph.D. in Political Science with International Relations and Public Administration concentrations. Her dissertation research examined the impact and role of women in the post conflict peace process. In addition, she serves as an adjunct professor in the Department of Justice, Law, and Criminology at American University. She graduated from the University of South Carolina Honors College with a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science. Prior to joining CBP, Mrs. Hippolyte was a Research Assistant at the Woodrow Wilson Center for International Scholars. Mrs. Hippolyte also worked on Capitol Hill as a Washington Fellow.