Pilotage Authorities of Pacific, Atlantic regions name new board members

OTTAWA, Ont. — Appointments to the board have been made for both the Atlantic and Pacific Pilotage Authorities, according to an announcement from the Ministry of Transport.

Paul Prefontaine and Karen Horcher have been appointed to the board of directors of the Pacific Pilotage Authority, while Alisa L. Aymar has been named to the board of directors of the Atlantic Pilotage Authority.

Prefontaine studied marketing at British Colombia Institute of Technology in Burnaby, B.C. Over his career, he has held a variety of positions in shipping businesses. He joined Saga Forest Carriers in
1993, left to work as a commercial manager at Gearbulk, and came back to Saga in 1999. Prefontaine is currently vice-president and general manager for Saga Forest Carriers Vancouver, which is responsible for all commercial and operational activities for the West Coast of North America. He has been appointed to the board of directions for a term of three years.

Horcher earned a bachelor of arts in economics from the University of Toronto in 1992. She then became a certified general accountant in 1999 and the same year earned a globally recognized Chartered Financial Analyst designation. Horcher is a former currency and money market trader who provides treasury consulting and training to corporations, financial institutions, and professional organizations. She has developed interest rate and currency risk management strategies for large corporations and has assisted senior management and boards of directors in risk mitigation and capital markets activities. Horcher is the author of several finance books and a frequent speaker on financial topics. She has been appointed for a term of four years.

Aymar is obtaining a master’s degree in business administration from Laurentian University and is a certified general accountant. She is presently manager of financial services at Comeau’s Sea Foods in Saulnierville, N.S. and reviews all aspects of operations to ensure the company’s operating efficiency. She has been appointed for a term of four years.

Both groups are Crown corporations which were created in 1972 under the Pilotage Act. The Pacific Pilotage Authority operates and maintains safe and effective marine pilotage and related services in the coastal waters of British Columbia, including the Fraser River, while the Atlantic Pilotage Authority services all coastal waters in the Atlantic region.