Our Team
Incident Commanders
With decades of combined experience, our team of highly skilled and respected incident commanders is distinctly qualified to handle oil spills in Washington. They have extensive knowledge of the Pacific Northwest region, allowing us to leverage their local expertise and providing us with a significant advantage over our competitors. This deep geographical understanding provides us with valuable community insights and enhances our ability to effectively respond.
Dan Smiley: Executive Director
With an expansive maritime career spanning over four decades, Dan has filled a diverse and impressive range of roles within the marine and oil industries. Currently serving as the Executive Director at Washington State Maritime Cooperative (WSMC), Dan manages a skilled group of Incident Commanders while maintaining the organization’s response preparedness.
Dan's maritime journey started with the U.S. Coast Guard. He then transitioned to Alaska's coastal freight trade, distinguishing himself as Master and Mate. He joined the Clean Sound Cooperative as Captain of the Oil Spill Recovery Vessel WESTERN GULL. This role underscored Dan's commitment to marine safety and environmental conservation. As a response manager for MSRC, he was at the forefront of managing some of the most notable maritime incidents, including the New Carissa, Cosco Busan, and the Deepwater Horizon.
Dan has carved a niche for himself in oil spill exercise design and facilitation. As the lead designer, he has orchestrated worst-case tabletop exercises not just in the United States but also in Canada, Brazil, the United Kingdom, and the Netherlands. Dan Smiley is the captivating voice behind "The Tactics Meeting Podcast," an essential resource for those keen on understanding the ever-evolving world of emergency response.
Scott Knutson
Scott started his career with Reading & Bates Drilling Company and worked his way up to a drilling superintendent. His work took him around the world with assignments in the North Sea, Mediterranean Sea, Adriatic Sea, South China Sea, and Gulf of Mexico.
After 10 years, Scott moved back to the United States and was hired by the U.S. Coast Guard as an equipment engineer. During his early days with the Coast Guard, he became intrigued with emergency response. His first actual response was the MV NEW CARISSA, which had run aground in Coos Bay, Oregon. After that, Scott was hooked and would spend the rest of his Coast Guard career responding to incidents such as Hurricane Katrina in New Orleans, MV COSCO BUSON in San Francisco Bay, MV TONG CHENG in the Hawaiian Islands, and Deepwater Horizon in the Gulf of Mexico.
Scott chaired a workgroup for the International Maritime Organization (IMO), International Offers of Assistance Guidelines project, which created a lexicon for oil spill equipment terms. He remains committed to long-term projects in the response world including the Western Response Resource List (WRRL), a database of oil response equipment located in 40 states and Canada.
Tami Allen
Tami is a retired Harbormaster from Bainbridge Island and has an MPA in Port Management and a 100 Ton captain license. She has been working in incident command and spill response since 2006 in Washington State and Louisiana. She also served as an on-call responder with Global Diving and Salvage in both the Pacific Northwest and Cocodrie, Louisiana.
Tami’s technical training includes FEMA, NIMS, and ICS 100, 200, 300, 400, 700, and 800. She is a U.S. Coast Guard Licensed Master. She has eight hours of HAZWOPER training as well as completion of the 40-hour Northwest Oil Spill Control Course. Tami has hands-on experience on MSRC vessels and equipment and has completed training in all Pacific Northwest MSRC facilities.
She has a working knowledge of vessel systems and can inspect and maintain the safety of the vessel and comply with all regulations. Tami is active in the Pacific Coast Congress of Harbormasters and Port Managers.
Vince Mitchell
Vince has a wide range of operational and technical oil spill expertise including leading teams, projects, and operations in locations from the sub-arctic in Alaska to the desert of the Middle East. His prior experience includes service with the U.S. Coast Guard, BP shipping, Alyeska Pipeline Service Company, Abu Dhabi National Oil Company, Lamor Corporation in Finland, and Arctic Slope Regional Corporation.
Vince is highly skilled in emergency response operations, training and exercise development, safety management, regulatory compliance, contingency planning, vessel operations and tanker escorting, and crisis management. He has participated in a number of significant oil spill responses including Deepwater Horizon in the Gulf of Mexico (Vessel of Opportunity Program and fishing vessel skimming Branch Director), Cosco Busan in the San Francisco Bay (Operations Section Chief), Pacific Adventurer Container Vessel Oil Spill off the Sunshine Coast of Australia (Technical Advisor), and the Valdez Marine Terminal Tanker Oil Spill in Alaska (Initial Incident Commander).
Vince has authored several Oil Spill Contingency Plans in the Caribbean, including the Cruise Ship Bunkering Plan (Aruba), Island Wide Bunkering Operations Plan and the Trans-Shipment Terminal Plan (Curacao), and the Island Wide Receipt and Distribution of All Petroleum Products Plan (Bonaire).
Gerold “Jerry” Popovice
Jerry brings over 40 years of unparalleled experience in oil spill response, emergency management, and the petroleum industry to the Washington State Maritime Cooperative (WSMC). As a key member of the WSMC Incident Management Team, Jerry is a seasoned leader with expertise spanning the roles of Incident Commander, Operations Section Chief, and Planning Section Chief.
In addition to his extensive leadership capabilities, Jerry is a recognized instructor in oil spill response tactics and has conducted numerous incident investigations. His background includes performing safety compliance audits and assessing safety systems at petroleum facilities, such as refineries and marketing terminals.
Jerry’s distinguished career also includes 20 years of military service in special operations, which has honed his operational and strategic expertise. His deep knowledge and proven track record make him an invaluable asset to WSMC’s mission of protecting Washington’s waterways.
Board of Directors
PRESIDENT
Mark Curtis (Tank Vessels, 2)
Fairwater
Rob Bolick (Member at Large)
Kirby Offshore Marine
Ian Mantha (Foreign Non-Liner)
Host Agency
VICE PRESIDENT
Brett Lowe (Tank Vessels, 1)
Polar Tankers
Ross McDonald (Tank Barge)
Sause Brothers
Eddy Kirby (Foreign Non-Liner Alternate)
Blue Water Shipping
Mason Reed (U.S. Flag Alternate)
Matson
SECRETARY
Richie Bryan (Foreign Liner & Cruise)
Carnival Cruise Line
Kevin Bartoy (Ferry Vessels)
Washington State Ferries
Barry McFarland (Member at Large Alternate)
Par Pacific Holdings
Peter Schrappen (Tank Barge Alternate)
American Waterways Operators
TREASURER
Doug Owusu (Fishing Vessels)
B&N Fisheries Company
Joey Halverson (U.S. Flag)
TOTE Services
Ernie Ramos (Tank Vessels, 2 Alternate)
Crowley