Dusty Smieja
Born in St. Paul, MN, Dusty was introduced to the water by his parents at just a few weeks old. Throughout his childhood he was always drawn to the magic and mystique of many of Minnesota's more than 10,000 lakes. The son of an Army veteran, Dusty learned at an early age the values of honesty, work ethic and helping others. He attended the University of Minnesota on an academic scholarship and was a ‘walk on’ to the ice hockey team, where he was part of their 2003 national championship team. After graduating from the University of Minnesota in 2006, he began working with one of the world's largest staffing companies. Almost immediately, he demonstrated his ability to grow within the company and it was during this time he realized he enjoyed taking the time to understand and help his clients achieve their goals, ambitions and desires. He learned that by placing his clients' objectives first, everything else falls into place.
Dusty continued to feel drawn to the water and wanted to incorporate his passion for it by working with people and boating. In 2013, he followed his passion and relocated to St. Petersburg, FL with his wife Karli. After he met Tom George, Dusty knew this was exactly what he had been searching for. He is able to serve customers as an expert resource for information they may be seeking while they are searching for their next boat. With his first-hand experience of seeing his dream of working with great people and boating realized, Dusty is committed to helping his clients fulfill their boating dreams as well.
Dusty quickly became a top seller with Tom George Yacht Group and was awarded the top New Boat Salesperson in 2016 & 2017. In 2018, he was promoted to Sales Manager for TGYG’s Clearwater store, where he was instrumental in growing TGYG’s business and culture.
Upon the acquisition by OneWater of Tom George Yacht Group, Dusty once again proved his capabilities when he took over as GM for TGYG’s Clearwater location and service center at Marker 1 Marina.
After more than two years of consistently growing revenue and profit for TGYG, Dusty found himself missing the more personal one-on-one relationships with customers in finding them the boat of their dreams or assisting them in selling their boat. In 2023, Dusty moved to the OneWater Yacht Group team and, with this transition, brings more than 10 years’ experience in the boating industry.
