Vann Burgess retired from the United States Coast Guard in February of 2000 after serving more than 21 years on active duty. During his career, Burgess’s primary fields were Law Enforcement and Search and Rescue. His last tour of duty was as the coordinator and lead instructor for the Marine Patrol Officer’s Course and a regulatory subject matter expert for the Boarding Officer’s Course at the Coast Guard’s Maritime Law Enforcement School, Yorktown, Virginia.

 In July 2000, Burgess came to the U.S. Coast Guard Boating Safety Division, Coast Guard Headquarters, where he now serves as the Coast Guard’s Senior Recreational Boating Safety (RBS) Specialist. In his current position, Burgess oversees the programmatic operation of the State RBS Grant Program, provided under the Sport Fish Restoration and Boating Trust Fund and administered by the U.S. Coast Guard. This grant program provides funding to all U.S. states and territories for the purposes of vessel numbering, RBS law enforcement, RBS education, search and rescue and boating accident investigation and reporting. Burgess also serves as the programmatic lead for the Vessel Identification System (VIS), a national database for state numbered and Coast Guard documented vessels for the purposes of law enforcement and security.

 Vann Burgess is the Coast Guard’s Boating Safety liaison to the National Association of State Boating Law Administrators (NASBLA) and serves on the Boat Accident and Training (BOAT) Program Advisory Board.

Pam is a Certified Association Executive currently serving as Paddlesports Trade Coalition staff under a service agreement with NASBLA. Pamela Dillon previously staffed the National Boating Education Standards Panel and the Education Committee. She co-authored the Third Edition of “The Guide for Multiple Use Waterway Management.” With her husband, Virgil Chambers, she is Program Co-Manager of the Inland Boat Operation and Marine Patrol Fundamentals Train-the-Trainer course and Methods of Instructor course under NASBLA’s Boat Operation and Training (BOAT) program.

Previously, Dillon served as boating law administrator for the state of Ohio, retiring in 2011 as chief of the Ohio Department of Natural Resources Division of Watercraft. Dillon served as executive director of the American Canoe Association from 2002-2007. In addition, Dillon served two terms as an appointed member of the National Boating Safety Advisory Council is a recipient of the U.S. Coast Guard’s Distinguished Public Service Award.

2024 Chair, NASBLA Engineering, Reporting & Analysis Committee