The mission of the Puget Sound Pilots (PSP) is to ensure against the loss of lives, loss of or damage to property and vessels, and to protect the marine environment by maintaining efficient and competent pilotage service on our State’s inland waters within the Puget Sound Pilotage District.PSP members are highly skilled, specially trained ship captains who board oil tankers, cargo vessels and cruise ships to guide them safely through Puget Sound waters. Our pilots are independent professionals who work on behalf of the citizens of Washington State.Their expertise and commitment to excellence has produced an unparalleled safety record of more than 200,000 sailings over the last 25 years without a major incident.

Captain of 3,500 ton ship with crew of 150. Safely navigated and piloted ship in North Pacific waters from Bering Sea to the Pacific Northwest including inland waters of Southeast Alaska, Canada’s Inside Passage, and Washington State. Conducted safe operations in extreme Alaskan winter weather using proven organizational risk-management principles. Safely and efficiently completed all assigned tasks including search and rescue, fisheries law enforcement, intelligence collection, military readiness & humanitarian service. Promoted personnel program through aggressive professional training, career advancement, comprehensive family support & equal opportunity.

Exceptional Coast Guard career and proven potential for senior leadership positions earned selection to attend prestigious senior officer education at the Joint Advanced Warfighting School (JAWS), Joint Forces Staff College. Completed a thesis titled U.S. National Arctic Strategy: Preparing Defensive Lines of Effort for the Arctic. Earned a Master of Science in Joint Campaign Planning and Strategy, as well as Joint Professional Military Education II. The school educates students in the art and science of joint, interagency and multinational planning and Warfighting at the strategic-operational level of war. The JAWS mission is to produce graduates who can create campaign-quality concepts, employ all elements of national power, accelerate transformation, succeed as joint force planners and commanders, and be creative, conceptual, adaptive and innovative.

Captain of 3,080 ton ship with crew of 110. Patrolled Chukchi Sea, Arctic Ocean, Bering Sea and Gulf of Alaska conducting safe operations in extreme Alaskan winter weather using proven organizational risk-management principles. Led ship's crew through response efforts for the 2012 oil rig KULLUK grounding in the Gulf of Alaska. As the only Coast Guard vessel on scene, maintained on scene command of all responding vessels and aircraft. Provided vital search and rescue response capabilities through frigid Alaska winter weather in hurricane force conditions. Safely and efficiently completed all assigned tasks including search and rescue, fisheries law enforcement, intelligence collection, military readiness & humanitarian service. Promoted personnel program through aggressive professional training, career advancement, comprehensive family support & equal opportunity.

Principal advisor to agency Director for mission execution and achievement of agency goals and national objectives. Planned and conducted joint Department of Defense and interagency detection and monitoring of air and maritime drug smuggling activities throughout the Caribbean and Eastern Pacific. Directed the scheduling and daily employment of multinational ships and aircraft from U.S. Navy, U.S. Coast Guard, U.S. Air Force, U.S. Army, French, British, and Netherland Navies. Led interagency teams and created remarkable synergy of effort across diverse and competing interests to achieve mutually agreed goals in support of national objectives. Oversaw collaborative effort to analyze, fuse and disseminate intelligence with partner Law Enforcement Agencies from Drug Enforcement Agency, Federal Bureau of Investigations, Immigration and Customs Enforcement, and Customs and Border patrol for coordinated tactical law enforcement action. Enabled and coordinated interdiction, boarding and apprehension efforts of Coast Guard and Law Enforcement agencies.

Executive Officer and Navigator for 1,829 ton ship with crew of 96. Patrolled and conducted operations in Florida, Bahamas, Cuba, Puerto Rico, Eastern and Western Caribbean, Panama Canal, and Eastern Pacific. Responsible for organization, coordination of effort, performance of duty, and good order and discipline of crew. Ensured ship’s operational and performance readiness and compliance with all U.S. laws and organization policies. Led on board training teams to ensure peak performance for all missions and emergencies; safe navigation, damage control, search and rescue, helicopter operations, combat readiness, etc.

U.S. Coast Guard liaison to U.S. State Department Office of Marine Conservation as an advisor for fisheries enforcement during international negotiations on marine conservation agreements. Represented the United States and the U.S. Coast Guard in regional fishery management organizations and bilateral negotiations including: the North Atlantic Fishery Organization; the joint meeting of tuna RFMO's; the United Nations Straddling Fish Stocks review conference; the North Pacific Anadromous Fish Commission; U.S.-Russia Intergovernmental Consultative Committee; U.S.-Mexico fisheries cooperation program; and U.S.-Canada bilateral fishery consultations. Most notably, worked with Mexico's Fisheries Attache and achieved a bilateral agreement on coordination procedures between the U.S. Coast Guard and CONAPESCA for the disposition of Mexican fishing vessels illegally fishing in the U.S. Exclusive Economic Zone. Also served as the primary advisor for the U.S. Coast Guard and Russian Federal Border Guard Service bilateral meetings on cooperation in the Bering Sea for fisheries enforcement and cooperation. International maritime law enforcement specialist & U.S. Government interagency coordinator for Coast Guard law enforcement operations. Facilitated interagency consultations between Coast Guard, Department of State, Department of Homeland Security, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Fisheries Enforcement, Department of Justice and other Government agencies to reach consensus on law enforcement actions for foreign vessels violating U.S. and international law. Represented U.S. Government and U.S. Coast Guard in international negotiations with Canada, Mexico, Russia, Japan, China, Denmark, and United Nations. Worked with foreign attachés on law enforcement issues and provided politically astute advice to State Department Bureaus.

Selected by Coast Guard to attended advanced education for a Masters in Marine Affairs. Personal program of study focused on international regional fishery management organizations (RFMO) and their role in developing management and enforcement mechanisms to curb illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) fishing. Completed a thesis titled Illegal, Unreported, and Unregulated Fishing: Is International Cooperation Contagious? The thesis evaluated the effectiveness of various RFMO's enforcement measures and how the measures fit into the FAO's International Plan of Action to Deter, Prevent, and Eliminate IUU Fishing. Thesis was also published in the journal Ocean Development and International Law in 2006. The University of Rhode Island's Marine Affairs degree educates students in the interdisciplinary analysis needed for effective marine and coastal management. The program provides a solid foundation in issues confronting policymakers, environmental managers, and businesses at every governmental level. In addition, graduates develop an understanding of the environmental, socioeconomic, political, and legal effects of management decisions and their implications. Subjects studied include international ocean law, management of living and non-living resources, environmental protection in the coastal zone, the interplay of marine science and public policy in areas such as ocean pollution and fisheries management, and the role of governments and inter-national organizations in Marine Affairs.

Hosted six fisheries enforcement officers from the People's Republic of China (PRC) under the U.S.-PRC High Seas Driftnet Agreement. Incorporated PRC officers into the training center's daily instructional schedule and educated them on U.S. fisheries conservation management policies and enforcement measures. Facilitated PRC officers to ride aboard USCG Cutters to execute PRC law enforcement authority over Chinese vessels violating the UN moratorium on high seas driftnets. Exceptional program management played significant part in PRC's seizure of five illegal driftnet vessels and an unprecedented request for USCG assistance in training PRC fisheries enforcement officers. Participant and advisor to U.S. delegation for three semi-annual meetings between the USCG and the Russian Federal Border Guard Service on fisheries enforcement cooperation in the North Pacific and Bering Sea. Advisor to U.S. delegation for the North Pacific Anadromous Fish Commission and the International Pacific Halibut Commission. Regularly attended quarterly meetings of U.S. North Pacific Fishery Management Council meetings as a law enforcement advisor. Responsible for the training of U.S. Coast Guard (USCG) law enforcement personnel on complex North Pacific U.S. federal fishing regulations. Managed annual training schedule for 27 USCG units and over 800 students. Developed, reviewed, and validated course curriculum and lesson plans for 12 courses. Keen understanding of adult learning theories and performance-based training was instrumental to curriculum and performance objectives development. Aligned curriculum to meet USCG fisheries law enforcement goals. Partnered with U.S. NOAA Fisheries Enforcement Agency, commercial fishing industry, and foreign organizations to ensure training was relevant, current, and applicable to current industry standards and policies.