Mr. Solis is a recognized expert in FDA import operations who has served as the acting assistant commissioner and director of ORA’s Office of Enforcement and Import Operations (OEIO) since March 29, 2020. During this time, he has provided leadership and direction to all OEIO field import divisions as well as the Division of Food Defense Targeting and Division of Import Operations at FDA HQ. He brought about the leadership and stability needed during the COVID-19 Pandemic. Mr. Solis was selected as the Assistant Commissioner for Import Operations on November 22, 2020 and prior to that he was the Division Director for the Division of West Coast Imports since February 9, 2018. He started his career with FDA in 1998. Prior to working in FDA, Mr. Solis worked in the Bioresearch field focusing on Medical Device and Drug Application Products after graduating from the University California of Irvine and the University of La Verne. Mr. Solis has held many positions within FDA that includes working at the FDA lab in Irvine, Ca. as a Microbiologist, HQ position within the Division of Import Operations in Rockville, MD, working as an Import Compliance Officer and working in the FDA Los Angeles District Office as a Director of Import Operations Branch. Mr. Solis is an experienced collaborator who has played an integral role in FDA operational activities with other federal agencies, partnering with Customs and Border Protection, Homeland Security Investigations, U.S. Department of Agriculture, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Drug Enforcement Agency, and state and local law enforcement agencies. Additionally, he conducts local and national training on imports, is a member of the National Leadership Development Workgroup at FDA’s Office of Training and Education Development, and has served as a mentor for the Federal Executive Board in Los Angeles and ORA’s Potential Supervisors Program. In his new role, Mr. Solis serves as the principal advisor to Associate Commissioner for Regulatory Affairs and report to the Deputy Associate Commissioner for Regulatory Affairs (DACRA) on all import matters. This includes providing direction and oversight to FDA field import operations, reviewing prior notice and intelligence data on human and animal food, and leading the development and implementation of new import programs and procedures. Mr. Solis has had many accomplishments within FDA and these are a few notables: Implementation of PREDICT at all ports in the US, the implementation of electronic communications and paperless transactions initiatives with the Trade Associations, formation of the CBP/FDA Teams including the Opioid Task Force, formation of the West Coast Import Advisory Council, formation of Federal and State Task Forces, conducting Federal Operations, streamlining the refusal process in the Ports of LA, San Francisco and Seattle, and development of strong partnerships with the filers, brokers and importers in the Pacific Region. Mr. Solis is nationally recognized as a subject matter expert in the program area of Import Operations and gives local, as well as, national training on Imports Investigations. He is a member of the National Leadership Development Workgroup at FDA’s Office of Training and Education Development, has served as a mentor for the Federal Executive Board in Los Angeles and the Potential Supervisor Program within FDA. He also has had integral roles in FDA Operations with other Federal Agencies, working with CBP, HSI, USDA, FWS, DEA and State and local law enforcement agencies. Currently, aside from his duties at the port, Mr. Solis is also a member of the FSMA – Foreign Supplier Verification Program (FSVP) Implementation Team as well as the Associate Commissioner’s IT Advisory Workgroup, the Associate Commissioner’s Import Advisory Panel, member of AFDO, WAFDO, ASQ, OCRA and the Pacific Island Health Officers Association (PIHOA). Mr. Solis holds a Masters Degree (MS) in Healthcare Administration from the University of LaVerne and a Bachelor’s Degree (BS) from University California of Irvine.
