see also: in April 2002:   Congressmen Honor U.S. Customs Employees   U.S. Customs Inspectors in Hidalgo Seize $390,000 in Methamphetamine   U.S. Customs Inspectors in Laredo Arrest Iraqi Fugitive Wanted by FBI in Michigan   U.S. Customs Inspectors, Del Rio, Seize 2,591 Pounds of Cocaine - Largest U.S.-Mexico Border Coke Seizure in FY 2002 To Date   Customs Kids Join Parents on the Job as Part of "Bring Your Child To Work Day" Event   U.S. Customs Service Patrol Officers Seize 1,678 Pounds of Marijuana on Monday   Maryland Woman Arrested for Transporting Over 30,000 Pills ...more

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Washington, D.C. -- Bonni Tischler, Assistant Commissioner for the Office of Field Operations, added a new distinction to her already impressive list of honors when the University of Florida, College of Journalism and Communications, named her one of six Alumni of Distinction for 2002. The university, which has graduated over 20,000 students with degrees in advertising, journalism, public relations, telecommunication, and mass-communication, has bestowed the honor on only 74 of its students since 1970.

Ms. Tischler who is the first woman to head Customs Office of Field Operations currently oversees approximately 13,000 Customs employees at more than 300 Ports of Entry and Customs Management Centers. She is responsible for all cargo and passenger processing. Last year more than 480 million passengers entered the United States and nearly a trillion dollars in cargo crossed the border.

"Heading up an operation of this size was not exactly what I had in mind when I enrolled in Journalism and Communications at Florida," Tischler noted, "nor would I ever have imagined that I would be honored with men and women who achieved phenomenal success in a more traditional communications sense. There is no doubt, however, that what I learned at Florida has been a major contributing factor in whatever I have been able to achieve. In government, especially here in Washington, success or failure depends on your ability to communicate your message to the Administration, to Congress, to fellow government executives, to employees, and, most of all, to the public. The College of Journalism and Communications at Florida prepared me for survival in a brutal arena of ideology and ideas."

Tischler, a 30-year Customs veteran, was also one of the first women to become a federal law enforcement officer, starting her career in 1971 as a sky marshall. She ascended through the ranks to become the first woman to head Customs Office of Investigations as Assistant Commissioner, shortly before her current appointment. She is the recipient of a Lifetime Achievement award from the National Center for Women and Policing. She obtained her bachelor of science in Broadcast Communications in 1966.