Leadership Team
Julie Myers Wood is the President of Immigration and Customs Solutions, LLC (ICS). In this capacity, Wood brings her extensive background to help build business solutions for companies seeking to grow and protect their bottom lines. Prior to founding the company, Wood served as head of Immigration and Customs Enforcement for nearly three years. In this role, she led the largest investigative component of the Department of Homeland Security and the second largest investigative agency in the federal government, with more than 17,000 employees and an annual budget of more than $5 billion. ICE has five integrated divisions (Detention and Removal Operations, Investigations, Federal Protective Service, Intelligence, and International Affairs) that form a 21st century law enforcement agency with broad responsibilities for a number of key homeland security priorities. During her leadership, the agency set new enforcement records with respect to export enforcement, intellectual property rights and illegal alien apprehensions. Her tenure is best known for building efficiency and breaking the mold of traditional enforcement. While serving at the agency she won praise from critics for her oversight initiatives to ensure appropriate care for detained aliens, inaugurated the new Intellectual Property Rights Center to ensure thorough coordination between public and private sector interests, launched the ICE Mutual Agreement between Government and Employers (IMAGE) to ensure best practices were spelled out for businesses to be compliant with worksite laws, and developed many immigration enforcement initiatives that resulted in the end of “catch and release” of apprehended illegal aliens. Ms. Wood is a frequent speaker and commentator on immigration and law enforcement issues. She has appeared on FOX, CNN, C-SPAN, ABC, CNBC, NPR, and numerous other television and radio stations. She has written editorials for USA Today, the Washington Post, and the Kansas City Star. She has spoken at the GovExec Forum, the Detroit Economic Club, and numerous chambers of commerce. Her previous leadership positions in the federal government include service as Assistant Secretary for Export Enforcement at the Department of Commerce, Chief of Staff for the Criminal Division at the Department of Justice and Deputy Assistant Secretary for Money Laundering and Financial Crimes at the Treasury Department. Ms. Wood's first position in federal government enforcing the law was as an Assistant United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York, where she prosecuted a variety of criminal cases, including financial crimes, immigration violations, securities fraud, and other white collar criminal cases. Before entering government service, Ms. Wood was an associate at Mayer, Brown & Platt in Chicago, Ill. She also clerked for the Honorable C. Arlen Beam of the United States Court of Appeals for the Eight Circuit. Ms. Wood earned a bachelor's degree at Baylor University and a J.D. from Cornell Law School. She is a native of Shawnee, Kansas. BACK TO TOP Nicholas J. Smith is the Managing Principal of Immigration and Customs Solutions, LLC. He previously served as Chief of Staff for U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) where he oversaw the day-to-day activities of the nation’s second largest federal investigative agency with more than 17,000 employees and a budget of $5 billion. He served at the agency for three years. Prior to joining ICE, Mr. Smith spent nearly 8 years working with Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist as press secretary and deputy chief of staff. While working with Senator Frist, Mr. Smith acted as the key communications coordinator for the Senator’s office during the Capitol shooting in 1998, the anthrax attack in 2001, and Frist’s transition to Majority Leader in 2002. He also served as treasurer in 2000 and president in 2001 of the United States Senate Press Secretaries Association. Before his work with Senator Frist, Mr. Smith produced policy briefings and worked in investor relations for a public policy organization, did media relations for Senator Arlen Specter, and worked in sales and marketing for a multi-national publishing company. Mr. Smith is a graduate of Pennsylvania State University. BACK TO TOP |
