Tom K. Doran

 Tom has been with CISD Marine since 2008, when he was hired to assist with the additional surveying demand brought about from record steel imports from China. Before joining CISD Marine, he attended Texas A&M University at Galveston, where he attained a Bachelor of Science in Maritime Administration. He has been a member of the United States Coast Guard Reserve since 2006 and has held the rank of Senior Chief Petty Officer since January 2025. Tom brings a process-driven attitude to CISD Marine, from a mindset established in the USCG and through training as a ISO 9001:2018 trained auditor.

After graduating, I was considering going to law school for a career in Admiralty Law. I was very interested in laws and regulations. But, I also had a strong interest in operations, and enjoyed hands-on work in the field. This opportunity shared components from these interests.

Nearly every aspect of the job is a puzzle to be solved. From locating the cargo, determining cause of damage, estimating a claim amount, and deciding on a course of action, there are several way to proceed and each assignment may present a unique challenge. You never know what you’ll see when the hatch covers open. We have also cultivated an amazing group of customers that I truly enjoy assisting. Many customers treat us as a valued partner, rather than simply a vendor. Helping these customers solve their challenges is extremely rewarding.

The support. We have an amazing team that is always willing to step in and assist if there are scheduling conflicts, whether work-related or in our personal life. The support also extends to training. Anyone can walk into anyone else’s office with a challenge they’re struggling with, and before you know, everyone else will be standing in their doorway trying to solve the problem. We’ve also built a substantial reference guide, checklists, and tools to ensure the success of the individual surveyor.

 We had new customer importing steel beams, and their first three shipments with us all resulted in significant claims. In short, there was a combination of seawater ingress and contamination from a previous cargo causing severe rust. From the moment the hatches opened, we began marking affected beams for sorting and segregation, estimating the potential claim amount, demonstrating the conditions, and obtaining security. We worked through challenges with multiple receivers; some wanted the beams reconditioned, and some rejected the affected pieces. Ultimately, our initial claim estimates were spot-on with the end result. The detailed work undoubtedly led to significant recovery from the responsibly party, and ensured the customer they were in great hands.

I spend a significant amount of my spare time as a reservist in the United States Coast Guard. As a senior enlisted leader, I frequently have junior members calling me with challenges. It’s very important to me that these people have someone helping and supporting them, sometimes when their leaders are giving guidance not supported by policy. This has been extremely rewarding for me, and this “side job” continuously builds my skills that I apply to CISD Marine.