Surveyors
Principals
The Principal Surveyor and Company President is DAVID C. DUBOIS, NAMS-CMS, a Certified member of the National Association of Marine Surveyors. He graduated from the United States Coast Guard Academy, and after eleven years on active duty in the Coast Guard as a marine inspector and a shipboard engineer officer, including assignments as Environmental Protection Officer in Norfolk, VA, and Providence, RI, handling oil spills, he formed Marine Safety Consultants in 1980. He has been actively involved in surveys of commercial and recreational vessels and he has conducted P and I investigations involving seamen’s injuries and liability claims. He has provided testimony as an expert witness in these fields. He has supervised major vessel repair projects and has consulted on new vessel construction and the modification of existing vessels. He has written oil pollution protection operations manuals for waterfront transfer facilities and tank barges.
He is a third party inspector authorized by the U. S. Coast Guard to issue Commercial Fishing Vessel Safety decals and is a certified fishing vessel drill conductor and instructor. He is a licensed marine adjuster in the State of Rhode Island.
MICHAEL L. COLLYER is the General Manager and Senior Surveyor of Marine Safety Consultants, Inc. He graduated from Massachusetts Maritime Academy with a degree in Nautical Science and Marine Transportation. He joined the firm in 1985, with extensive commercial sea-going experience, and had served also as a marine law-enforcement officer for the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. During a long tenure as the general manager of a large yacht club, he was also the President of a marine towing and construction company. He has been certified as an instructor in Navigation and Seamanship by the Massachusetts Department of Education, and has practical teaching experience in these and related subjects. He has worked extensively in the management of vessel loss claims, and is a recognized expert in vessel construction, repair and valuation appraisal. His experience includes commercial hull condition and safety surveys; workplace safety and marine construction equipment evaluations; personnel training; oil spill management and third party claims handling; He holds a Merchant Marine license as Third Mate, unlimited, oceans; Mass Construction Supervisor’s License #009706; is a USCG certified fishing vessel drill conductor and instructor; and is a member of the United States Naval Institute, National Fire Protection Assoc., Propeller Club of Boston, as well as other organizations.
Associates
Marine Safety Consultants has on its staff a number of associate surveyors and consultants, whose collective backgrounds and education provide the company with a wide range of technical and claims management talent. Brief biographies of several of the associates follow, and complete resumes of all associates are available upon request:
MARK A. BISNETTE is a retired Coast Guard Officer with more than 25 years of experience in virtually all aspects of maritime safety and security. As an instructor at the Coast Guard Officer Candidate and Marine Safety schools, Mark has trained hundreds of marine safety professionals. Mark has served as a marine inspector and casualty investigator in the ports of New York, Boston and Hampton Roads. He has extensive environmental response and salvage experience, including Federal On-Scene Coordinator’s Representative duties in Hampton Roads and Providence, RI as well as serving as a response team leader during the Exxon Valdez and Deepwater Horizon disasters. Mark has considerable waterways management expertise, having served on the waterways management staffs in Boston, MA and Providence, RI, where he was involved in planning and execution of major waterway evolutions including Air Shows and Tall Ships Celebrations as well as hundreds of smaller events. As an operations and logistics planner and responder, Mark has planned and participated in Incident and Unified Command organizations for major national security events, including the 2004 G-8 Summit, Super Bowl XXXIX, and 2004 Democratic National Convention. As a marine safety staff officer in St. Louis, MO, Mark co-authored the Coast Guard’s integrated Western Rivers operations plans, one of the first of its kind in the U.S. He is considered an expert in federal oil spill response funding and has also served as a safety officer for federal response and security operations.
DANA P. COLLYER is a hull and machinery specialist in our Fairhaven office. A high school graduate in 1992, he then served four years in the U. S. Coast Guard, both as an auxiliaries engineer on a 378’ cutter in the Northwest and Alaska, as well as a small boat engineer at a search and rescue station in Rhode Island. Between 1996 and 1997, he was a self-employed building contractor until employment by Brownell Systems of Mattapoisett, MA as boat hauler, using their specialized hydraulic equipment. During the off seasons, he carried out heavy equipment and diesel engine maintenance for Brownell, as well as learning wood and fiberglass vessel repair and construction techniques. In 1996, he joined the Mattapoisett Fire Department where he spent seven years as a volunteer fire fighter and heavy rescue. During his time as a fire fighter, he trained personnel in shipboard fire fighting, boat handling and oil recovery. He is also a certified medical first respondent. In 2003, he joined Niemiec Marine as a boat hauler, diesel mechanic and vessel repair specialist. Since earning employment with Marine Safety Consultants, Inc. in mid-2004, he has intensively trained in claims handling and surveying of yachts and commercial vessels. He has received accreditation from the American Boat and Yacht Council and participates in the safety training of commercial fishermen.
MICHAEL W. DUDLEY is the Marine Claims Investigator, managing the P & I claims of injured commercial fisherman under the direction of the insurance underwriters; investigating liability, supervising maintenance and cure; and settlement resolution with and without supporting and/or opposing legal counsel. As an oil spill mediator, investigates and manages smaller above ground tank farm oil spills for mediation reporting to insurance underwriters and legal representatives on clean up progress and management, managing and obtaining final settlements from fisherman and town government.
RICHARD B. HARDEN, JR. CSP is the Resident Surveyor of our New Hampshire/Maine office. He is a graduate of Maine Maritime Academy with a degree in Nautical Science. He has sea-going experience in both the U.S. Merchant Marine and U.S. Navy. During his career in the Coast Guard, he specialized in Merchant Marine Inspection and Investigation with assignments in New York, NY, Washington, DC, New London, CT, Boston, MA and St. Ignace, MI where he served as Commanding Officer of the Marine Inspection Office. At Marine Safety Consultants he has experience with Condition and Valuation surveys and claims investigations. He was recently assigned as a marine safety specialist on the Central Artery/Tunnel Project in Boston. In addition to extensive Marine Safety experience and training, he has also obtained graduate level training in safety management. He is a Certified Safety Professional, holds a USCG license as Third Mate, unlimited, oceans, and he is a member of the American Society of Safety Engineers, Upper Great Lakes Captain’s Association, and Propeller Club of the U.S., Port of Boston.
DEAN B. HOSTETLER is our environmental compliance, and emergency response management specialist. A 1977 graduate of Maine Maritime Academy with a degree in nautical science, he has extensive experience sailing aboard tankers, offshore anchor handling supply, ocean going tow vessels and yachts world wide as an USCG licensed officer or master. Since stepping ashore in 1993, he has operated his own company offering maritime consultant services to the industry, specializing in marine emergency response management, environmental compliance services, project management, plan development, curriculum development and training. During the 1990’s he managed and coordinated training for a 12 man Salvage Action Response Team dedicated to responding to a cross range of maritime emergency evolutions, including marine fire fighting, salvage operations, and oil spill response management operations for OPA-90 compliance requirements. He has written over 250 USCG approved Vessel Response Plans, Facility Response Plans, Shipboard Oil Pollution Emergency Plans, as well as Safety, and Operation manuals. He also developed curriculum and trained corporate and front line personnel in marine safety, emergency response operations, environmental and homeland security compliance. He has over 15 years experience surveying pleasure crafts, ships and work vessels. Since 1999 he has supervised and managed bulk stevedoring operations in the port of Providence, New Jersey and Sydney, Nova Scotia. He is a certified ISM, Lead Auditor, has been a certified AWO Responsible Carrier Program auditor, and is a member of the Port of Providence Propeller Club.
RUSSELL A. KEANE is the versatile claims handler working for our Fairhaven headquarters. A 1997 graduate of the University of Richmond where he studied psychology and business, he has gone on to achieve the Associate in Claims (AIC) Certification through the Insurance Institute of America and is in pursuit of the CPCU designation. In terms of Jones Act P and I exposures, he is involved with the investigation and management of injury cases ranging from crew and patrons on ferry boats to the commercial fishing industry throughout New England. He also handles recreational yacht damage claims as well as cargo and container losses.
DENNIS J. LAYFIELD, NAMS-CMS, is the yacht specialist in our Fairhaven, MA office, handling claims and assignments over the entire Southern New England area. A retired Coast Guard Chief Warrant Officer, he received training in such areas as marine engineering, structural integrity, passenger safety and pollution prevention. Upon retirement in 1986, he served as operations manager for a large commercial shipyard. He joined Marine Safety Consultants, Inc. in 1989 as staff surveyor until 1996, when he formed his own yacht surveying firm, Maritime Consultants, Inc. Dennis rejoined Marine Safety Consultants, Inc. in 2004 to supervise our yacht claim department. Dennis is a Certified Marine Surveyor of the National Association of Marine Surveyors, and a Member of the American Boat and Yacht Council, the U.S. Naval Institute, and the Military Officers Association of America.
MATTHEW PAWLISHEN is one of our surveyors in our Fairhaven office. He specializes in recreational and commercial claim work. He is a 2007 graduate of Westfield State College where he earned degrees in Criminal Justice and Psychology. In 2002, he joined M.A.R. Auto as a gasoline and diesel mechanic. While attending college he worked as a call firefighter in South Hadley, MA. Since earning a position at Marine Safety Consultants, he has trained extensively in claim handling and audio gauging.
NEIL C. ROSEN, NAMS-CMS is our hull and P and I specialist in Portland, ME. He is a graduate of Maine Maritime Academy with a degree in Nautical Science. He has extensive sea-going experience, both as a Deck Officer aboard ocean-going tankers and towboats, but also as Master aboard coastwise small passenger vessels between New England and Florida, with time also spent on the Great Lakes and inland rivers in this capacity. Shoreside, he was a construction inspector and project manager for over twelve years with a greater Boston consulting engineering firm. Since joining MSC in 1991, Mr. Rosen has specialized in the investigation and management of personal injury cases aboard fishing vessels and passenger vessels, as well as condition and damage surveys of commercial vessels. He holds a USCG license as Third Mate, any ocean any tonnage, with a Radar Observer endorsement.
NEIL G. STODDARD is a senior marine surveyor and marine claims investigator with Marine Safety Consultants located in Taunton, Massachusetts. He is an ex member of the United States Coast Guard and ex commercial fisherman who joined the firm in 2006 with extensive seagoing experience and twenty three years experience as a marine surveyor. Prior to coming aboard he was a Senior Marine Surveyor and Manager with SGS Marine Services in Taunton, Massachusetts and prior to that spent fifteen years as a staff surveyor with Hull and Cargo Surveyors in Boston, Massachusetts. He has worked extensively in marine claims management and loss control. His experience includes P and I claims investigation and claims handling, hull and machinery claims investigation and oil pollution management and third party claims handling. He holds Rhode Island and Connecticut property and casualty adjusters license’s and is a charter member of the Society of Accredited Marine Surveyors (SAMS).
Services
We offer various services in the following areas
- Marine engineering
- Pollution protection
- Safety management
- Training
And much more! Click here to view a full description of all of our services
Affiliations
