Education: Post Graduate Courses, Naval War College MBA, Organizational Systems, Baldwin Wallace College BS, Nautical Science, Maine Maritime Academy Merchant Mariners Licenses: Chief Mate, Vessels of Any Gross Tons Upon Oceans Master, Vessels of not more than 1600 Gross Tons Upon Oceans First Class Pilot, San Diego Harbor CA and approaches STCW95 Certificate FCC GMDSS Radio Operator Able-Bodied Seaman

Commander (Ret) George Burns, US Coast Guard (Ret), has had an active professional career upon retiring from the USCG. He has led and coordinated on-site teams conducting a Port-wide Security Vulnerability Assessment for the Port of South Louisiana in 2002, the largest tonnage port in the US. Commander Burns has conducted a cost study for the European Commission on the implementation of the new international maritime security codes throughout Europe and has served as the subject matter expert for maritime security during port visits to Dover, UK, Antwerp, Belgium, and Vlissingen, the Netherlands. He has performed Vessel and Facility Security Assessments and prepared Security Plans (for both vessels and facilities) for over two dozen vessels/facilities, both domestically and internationally. These clients include Cardiff Marine Inc., with over 50 tankers and bulk carriers; IMC, Inc.; Gellatly & Criscione; and PETROTRIN facilities in Trinidad and Tobago. Other clients Commander Burns worked with and for include the International Steel Group Inc.; AMPORTS facilities in Baltimore, Maryland and Benicia, California; and the Domino Sugar Terminal in Baltimore, Maryland.

Commander Burns co-planned and helped execute a tabletop security exercise at the Port of South Louisiana in which over 100 individuals from industry and various law enforcement agencies participated. He also developed a Vessel Security Officers Course and delivered it to 70 Masters and Chief Engineers from American Steamship Company and Columbia Steamship Company.

Commander Burns has experience presenting briefs concerning various maritime security topics and has given presentations at the International Oil Spill Conference, the Homeland Security Expo in Washington, DC, the Great Lakes Homeland Security Conference and a security seminar hosted by J Connor Consulting in Houston, TX. He has also developed and delivered comprehensive maritime security briefs to audiences of foreign ship owners in Singapore, Hong Kong, Tokyo and Seoul.

While on active duty with the USCG, Commander Burns organized a regional spill preparedness and response committee involving representatives from all federal, state, and local agencies, and commercial industries within the two state area of Western Lake Erie. He coordinated the preparation of the first-ever joint plan to respond to spills within that area. The Committee and resulting plan were evaluated to be the most complete and effective spill organization within the entire Great Lakes region.

Another significant accomplishment, Commander Burns coordinated two large-scale equipment deployment drills before such exercises became required by federal regulation. Events involved presenting the concept and obtaining the voluntary participation of over 25 commercial spill cleanup companies, state and local agencies, and other USCG commands. Exercises involved the deployment of over 12,000 of spill containment boom, use of several boats and helo support by over 150 people to develop and test local response strategies.

Commander Burns is a qualified and experienced Coast Marine Safety Officer. He has served as both Alternate and Acting Captain of the Port, Officer in Charge, Marine Inspection and Federal On-Scene Coordinator. He authored the USCG’s report on the sinking of the Naval Academy vessel, American Promise, after leading a joint investigation into the incident. He has extensive hands-on, managerial and executive experience in the areas of prevention, preparedness, and response to oil and hazardous material spills in the coastal and inland marine environments. Serving as the 2001 Chairman of the program for the biennial International Oil Spill Conference, he coordinated the solicitation, review and acceptance of over 400 technical papers submitted from world-wide experts on all aspects of oil spill prevention, preparedness, and response.

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