About

Dan Smiley

Principal, Terminus Inc.

Dan Smiley's career in maritime emergency response spans over three decades, beginning with service in the U.S. Coast Guard and continuing through leadership roles with the nation's premier oil spill response organizations.

After his Coast Guard service, Dan worked in Alaska's maritime industry, earning his USCG Master and Mate licenses. He subsequently held positions with Clean Sound Cooperative and Marine Spill Response Corporation (MSRC), where he developed deep expertise in spill management team operations, equipment deployment, and incident command.

Dan's response experience includes participation in some of the most significant maritime incidents of the past two decades, including the Deepwater Horizon oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico and the Cosco Busan fuel oil spill in San Francisco Bay. These experiences inform his approach to training and exercise design—grounded in operational reality rather than theoretical frameworks.

Current Roles

Dan currently serves as Executive Director of the Washington State Maritime Cooperative (WSMC), where he manages the umbrella oil spill response plan covering Puget Sound, the San Juan Islands, Strait of Juan de Fuca, and Washington's outer coast. WSMC provides regulatory compliance, response planning, and preparedness services for vessel and facility members throughout the region.

Through Terminus Inc., Dan provides ICS training, exercise design, and consulting services to industry and government clients. His work spans multiple states and includes international exercise design and facilitation.

Dan also hosts The Tactics Meeting Podcast, a platform for conversations with emergency response leaders, subject matter experts, and practitioners. With over 90 episodes, the podcast covers topics from incident command and unified coordination to emerging technologies and regulatory developments.

Speaking & Presentations