About Us

Position	Name	Contact
Chair	Dr. Sheri Tonn	TonnS@wsdot.wa.gov
Pilot	Captain Sandy Bendixen, Puget Sound Pilots	BPCCommissionerBendixen@gmail.com
Pilot	Captain Mike Anthony, Puget Sound Pilots	BPCCommissionerAnthony@gmail.com
Foreign Flag	Captain Richard Firth, Holland America Group	BPCCommissionerFirth@gmail.com
US Flag	Captain Andrew Drennen, Polar Tankers	BPCCommissionerDrennen@gmail.com
Marine Environment	Dr. Eleanor Kirtley, Vice Chair, Green Marine	BPCCommissionerKirtley@gmail.com
Dept. of Ecology	Nhi Irwin, Department of Ecology	Nhoa461@ecy.wa.gov
Public	Timothy J. Farrell	BPCCommissionerFarrell@gmail.com
Public	Captain Jason R. Hamilton, USCG Ret.	BPCCommissionerHamilton@gmail.com
Executive Director	Jaimie C. Bever	BeverJ@wsdot.wa.gov
Training Program Manager	Jolene Hamel	HamelJ@wsdot.wa.gov
Program Analyst	Bettina Maki	MakiB@wsdot.wa.gov

ABOUT US

The Board of Pilotage Commissioners was created by the 1935 Legislature and includes members who are appointed by the Governor, confirmed by the Senate and serve staggered four-year terms. The members include a designee of the Director of Washington State Ferries, who is the chairperson, (2) public members, (1) American shipping representative, (1) foreign shipping representative, (2) licensed Pilots, (1) environmental member, and (1) Department of Ecology member.

The mission of the Board is to ensure against the loss of lives, loss of or damage to property and vessels, and to protect the marine environment by maintaining efficient and competent pilotage service on our State’s inland waters.

The Board develops and proposes statutory language for legislative adoption to ensure safe and compulsory pilotage, adopts rules to administer State pilotage laws, and enforces pilot and public adherence to the Pilotage Act, which may include discipline and/or prosecution of violators. The Board also administers testing, training and licensing of marine pilots, and establishes standards for reporting and investigating incidents involving state-piloted vessels.