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INSIGHTSJames A. Watson IV, Director of the Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement (BSEE)Interior Secretary Ken Salazar Named Rear Admiral James A. Watson IV as New Director of the Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement (BSEE) in November of 2011. Admiral Watson began as BSEE Director on December 1, 2011, and succeeds Michael R. Bromwich. Previously, Watson was better known to mar- itime stakeholders as the U.S. Coast Guards Director of Prevention Policy for Marine Safety, Security and Stewardship in Washington, D.C. Prior to that, he also served as the Federal On-Scene Coordinator for the all-of- government response to the Deepwater Horizon oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico. Your appointment as BSEE Director is a natural pro- gression from your previous billet as USCG Director of Prevention Policy for Marine Safety, Security and Stewardship. Whats different about the two posi- tions and where do they mirror one another? Looking at both positions, I think there are more simi- larities than there are differences. In both BSEE and the Coast Guard, my top priority has been the safety of the crew members offshore. I want to be sure they are able to return to their family and loved ones when the job is done. That's what keeps me going each day. There are definite- ly subtle differences within the missions of the Coast Guard and BSEE, and Im learning a great deal about the offshore oil and gas industry in my current position, but the overarching responsibility for safety at sea stretches between the two agencies and has helped motivate me as the BSEE Director. What do you hope to bring from the Coast Guard Safety SOP to improve BSEE oversight of the indus- tries they regulate? What can BSEE teach your for- mer employers?In the Coast Guard, we often talked about our responsi- bility as the rescuer of last resort. When there is a life threatening situation, the Coast Guard often gets the call. The organization does well to respond to difficult situa- tions and has a bias towards action. If there is anything I have brought with me to BSEE, its that bias towards action. I want us to acknowledge that we will be placed in difficult situations and that we should prepare for them. We should be leaning forward at all times and be ready to respond, even though the type of response BSEE does is quite different than the Coast Guard. BSEE has an excel- lent team of very specialized scientists and engineers and we utilize those skills each and every day. The experience they bring makes us more than just a regulator; it also makes us offshore oil and gas experts. I think the Coast Guard can benefit greatly from tapping this skill set from time to time. The exchange of information and training has been ongoing between the two organizations and I 10MNApril 2012