The Senate confirmed the nomination of Laura DiBella late Dec. 18 to fill a vacancy on the Federal Maritime Commission. The Senate Commerce Committee approved DiBella’s nomination in November (see 2511190051). A second FMC nominee, Robert Harvey, awaits consideration by the committee.

The Senate late Dec. 18 confirmed the nomination of Christopher Pilkerton to be the Treasury Department’s assistant secretary for investment security, overseeing the Committee on Foreign Investment in the U.S. The Senate also approved Jonathan Burke to be Treasury’s assistant secretary for terrorist financing. The Senate Banking Committee approved both nominations in late September (see 2509300036).

Claire O'Neill McCleskey and Claire Grunewald, two former sanctions officials with the Office of Foreign Assets Control, have launched sanctions consulting firm Clarity Compliance Consulting, they announced on LinkedIn. O'Neill McCleskey previously served as head of OFAC's compliance division before leaving in October, and Grunewald was an OFAC sanctions compliance officer before leaving in September.

Robin Colwell, who most recently served as a deputy assistant to President Donald Trump and deputy director of the National Economic Council, is joining Intel as its senior vice president of government affairs. Colwell said on LinkedIn that she's starting at Intel in the new year after working in government since January 2025. Intel said Colwell will, among other contributions, help the company navigate the government's trade and national security policies.

Dave Hanke, the staff director of the House Select Committee on China, will start a new role as counsel to committee Chairman John Moolenaar, R-Mich., Hanke announced on LinkedIn. Hanke will begin Jan. 1, and Maseh Zarif, the committee's current director of external affairs, will replace him as staff director.

Casey Kirwan, a former senior official at the Office of Foreign Assets Control, left the agency last month to join TD Securities as a senior sanctions manager, he announced on LinkedIn. Kirwan had been with OFAC for nearly six years and was most recently the section chief for cyber and digital assets.

Adam Vaccaro, former director of the Treasury Department's Office of Investment Security, has joined DLA Piper in Washington, the firm said Dec. 3. Vaccaro joined Treasury in 2019 to help lead the Committee on Foreign Investment in the U.S. before leaving the agency this month, according to his LinkedIn profile. DLA Piper also called him "one of the primary authors" of Treasury's outbound investment security program.

Chris Cook left his role as a trial attorney with the DOJ National Security Division's Counterintelligence and Export Control Section to join Pratt & Whitney as associate director and counsel for global trade investigations, he announced this week on LinkedIn. Cook first joined DOJ in 2016.

Rebecca Hindt left her role as a senior compliance specialist with the State Department's Directorate of Defense Trade Controls to join Collins Aerospace as an associate director for global trade, she announced on LinkedIn last week. She first joined DDTC in 2018.

Richard Cupitt, former senior adviser to the State Department's undersecretary for arms control and international security, left the agency this week after first joining in 2023. Cupitt's work focused on advising the State Department's AUKUS team, particularly on AUKUS Pillar II emerging technology issues -- the pillar aimed at reducing defense trade barriers between the U.S., Australia and the U.K. Cupitt is a part-time senior consultant at the Stimson Center, according to his LinkedIn profile.