The Port Authority’s Board comprises four Directors nominated by user groups and approved by the Minister of Transport, one federal appointee, one provincial appointee and one appointee chosen by the nine municipalities that border the Port Authority’s jurisdiction.

Ms. Sparkes was Mayor of New Westminster between 1997 and 2002, where she oversaw a budget of $100 million and a staff of one thousand. While Mayor, she served on the Union of BC Municipalities Executive, and as a Director of the Greater Vancouver Regional District, Vice Chair of the Greater Vancouver Water District, Director of TransLink, and Trustee of the Municipal Finance Authority (a central borrowing agency for municipal and regional governments and provincial agencies such as E-Comm).

Ms. Sparkes served as a New Westminster City Councillor between 1988 and 1996. Prior to entering municipal politics she was a high school teacher. She has also been involved in community activities through such organizations as the Hyack Festival Association, Kiwanis International, and Rotary International and was awarded The Commemorative Medal for the Golden Jubilee of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II.

The Fraser River Port Authority has a mandate to promote waterborne commerce and trade within Fraser Port, which extends along the main arm of the lower Fraser River, from the mouth at Sand Heads to Kanaka Creek and Pitt Lake. More than 23 million tonnes of cargo move through Fraser Port terminals each year, creating more than 10,700 local jobs.