Canadian Propane Association appoints first woman as chair

Nancy Borden, an owner of Vancouver Island Propane Services, has been appointed as the first woman to chair the Canadian Propane Association’s (CPA) board of directors.

Borden

“I am very honored for the opportunity to assume the position of chair and thank my colleagues on the board for putting their trust in me,” Borden says. “I am proud to be part of an industry that focuses on an individual’s capabilities and promotes a ‘can you do the job’ mindset, regardless of gender. Since I was young, I have worked in a male-dominated industry, but I was surrounded by colleagues that always encouraged me, giving me the confidence to keep moving ahead and take on new responsibilities.”

Borden assumed the role of chair at the CPA’s Annual General Meeting on June 10 after serving as vice chair for the past year, and before that, chair of the CPA British Columbia committee for two years.

“On behalf of the CPA board of directors, I congratulate Nancy in her new role as chair. Nancy’s extensive experience and passion for the propane industry will provide great leadership for our board as we work on behalf of our members from coast to coast to advance the interests of our industry,” says Dan Kelly, past chair.

Nancy has worked for her family’s propane business, Vancouver Island Propane Services, located in Victoria, British Columbia, since the start of her career. During that time, she’s taken on many roles in the propane marketing business from the field to compliance and regulation, including becoming a certified Propane Training Institute trainer.

“I am very pleased to have Nancy chair our board. Having strong leaders who are women in the energy sector provides inspiration for the promotion of women and young talent in our industry,” says Nathalie St-Pierre, president and CEO of CPA. “Nancy brings a wealth of experience and knowledge to effectively lead the CPA board and provide strategic direction to continue building a growing and prosperous propane market. I look forward to working with Nancy in the year ahead.”

CPA is the national trade association representing every segment of the propane industry across Canada. It will be celebrating ten years this fall.

“It’s such a great time in the propane industry. We have this low-emission fuel that is versatile, safe, self-contained and can go anywhere,” Borden says. “We still have a lot of work to do in getting our message out about this amazing fuel, but now is really an exciting time as we see governments starting to understand how beneficial propane is and how it can help reduce emissions across the country. We have some unique challenges ahead of us as we work to advance our industry, but I am so excited for it.”

Board Director Guy Marchand, president of Budget Propane, Quebec, is retiring after 10 years of service to CPA, and two new members joined the board: Richard Charbonneau, director, Budget Propane & P38, Quebec, and Darren Rousch, general manager, Keyera, Alberta.

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