SECTOR COMMANDER
CAPTAIN A.R. MIGLIORINI

Captain Migliorini currently serves as the Commander at Sector Columbia River where he performs the duties of Captain of the Port, Federal Maritime Security Coordinator, Federal On-Scene Coordinator, Search and Rescue Mission Coordinator, and Officer in Charge of Marine Inspections. He is responsible for all aspects of Coast Guard and interagency coordination providing maritime safety, security, and environmental response in the Coast Guard’s 5th largest Sector. The Sector Columbia River area of responsibility encompasses 3 states and 885 nautical miles of shoreline and navigable rivers to include 54 MTSA regulated facilities and 16 Coast Guard units that protect and enable a $29 billion maritime transportation system.
Captain Migliorini most recently served as the Commanding Officer for Marine Safety Unit Port Arthur, which includes the nation’s third busiest commercial port and the busiest Strategic Port of Embarkation for Military Out-load operations in the United States.
Captain Migliorini’s staff assignments include the Enlisted Assignments Branch Chief at Personnel Service Center (PSC). While at PSC, he was responsible for the overall execution of the assignment process for the 31,000 members of the Coast Guard's enlisted workforce. He also served as Supervisor of the Coast Guard’s Container Inspection Training and Assistance Team, and Community Relations and Social Media Officer at Headquarters in the Office of Public Affairs.
His previous operational assignments were as the Prevention Department Head at Sector St. Petersburg, Florida, Commanding Officer of Marine Safety Unit Toledo, Assistant Chief of the Inspections Division at Sector San Juan, Puerto Rico, and Chief of the Facility and Container Inspection Branch at Sector Los Angeles-Long Beach.
Captain Migliorini also served as the Assistant Supervisor of the Coast Guard’s Redeployment Assistance and Inspection Detachment (RAID) responsible for assisting Army units with the safe shipment of containerized hazardous material cargos from Iraq, Afghanistan, and Kuwait. During this overseas tour, he was responsible for establishing the first permanent base of operations for RAID in Afghanistan.
Captain Migliorini is a native of Fullerton, California and graduated from the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy at Kings Point, New York with a Bachelor of Science degree in Logistics and Intermodal Transportation. He holds a Master of Public Administration degree from the University of Oklahoma and a Master of Strategic Studies degree from the U.S. Army War College.
His personal awards include four Meritorious Service Medals, four Coast Guard Commendation Medals, three Coast Guard Achievement Medals, and the Commandant’s Letter of Commendation.
DEPUTY SECTOR COMMANDER
CAPTAIN JAMES M. MCLAY
Captain McLay reported as Deputy Commander, Sector Columbia River in Portland, Oregon, in July 2023. In this role he assists in the oversight of more than 1,100 active duty, reserve, civilian and auxiliary personnel conducting operations over an area of responsibility encompassing 640 miles of coastal Oregon and southern Washington waters extending from the California border to Grays Harbor, WA, as well as the Willamette, Columbia, and Snake Rivers.
Captain McLay reported to Portland from Quantico, VA, where he completed a year-long senior service school program at the Marine Corps War College. Prior to his studies, he served at the Pentagon as the Coast Guard Liaison Officer to the Deputy Chief of Naval Operations for Operations, Plans, and Strategy, where he facilitated policy dialog between armed sea services as a maritime homeland security, homeland defense, and threat response expert to the Navy staff.
Captain McLay was commissioned in 2002 following completion of Coast Guard Officer Candidate School in New London, CT. A response officer and boat forces professional, Captain McLay has deployed in support of numerous contingencies, including operations following the Deepwater Horizon oil spill and Hurricanes Rita and Sandy. His operational tours include Deputy Sector Commander and Response Department Head at Sector Northern New England in South Portland, Maine; Executive Officer of Station New York; and Waterside Division Chief (Plankowner) of Maritime Safety and Security Team San Diego. Staff tours include Law Enforcement Duty and Staff Officer at the District Eleven Office of Law Enforcement in Alameda, CA, and External Affairs Officer (Plankowner) at the Deployable Operations Group in Arlington, VA. Following completion of the Naval War College’s College of Naval Command and Staff resident program, he served as J9 Deputy Section Chief and Special Programs Branch Chief at the Department of Homeland Security’s Joint Task Force East.
Captain McLay holds a bachelor’s degree in political science from James Madison University as well as three master’s degrees: in business administration and management from Boston University; national security and strategic studies from the Naval War College (distinguished graduate); and strategic studies from the Marine Corps War College. In 2022, he completed Harvard Kennedy School’s Senior Executive Fellowship program. Captain McLay is married with four children.