Staff Bios
Hunter McIntosh
Hunter Hartford McIntosh is a true guardian of the environment and was passionate about conservation from an early age. Inspired by a family legacy of environmental education, philanthropy and conservation that protects our natural resources for future generations, Hunter is steadfast on preserving nature through his work as President of The Boat Company.
The Boat Company was started in 1979 by Hunter’s father Michael McIntosh with the mission of protecting the largest remaining temperate rainforest in the Northern Hemisphere, the Tongass National Forest in Southern Alaska. This mission is carried out today through their luxury eco-cruises which allow visitors to experience nature’s beauty and see first hand the importance of conservation.
Growing up in Palm Beach, FL and participating in such island rituals as watching the annual nesting of the sea turtles, instilled in Hunter the desire to protect and preserve our waters and wildlife habitats.
A multi-disciplinary athlete, he went to Florida State University on a track scholarship. Two years later he left FSU to persue his true athletic passion, and joined the ATP Tour as a tennis professional. After moving to Connecticut, Hunter resumed his college studies at Sacred Heart University and received degrees in Communications and Political Science. While attending school, he also served as Head Men’s Tennis Coach at Fairfield University, directing the Stag’s to their first conference titles.
Hunter is proudly carrying on his family legacy of conservation and shares The Boat Company’s vision at national conferences where he has spoken on the topic of Sustainable Tourism. He has been a speaker at the World Green Energy Symposium on multiple occasions, The International Ecotourism Society Annual Conference as well as the American Society of Travel Agents Cruise West.
In 2011, Hunter was identified as a Top 25 Extraordinary Mind in Sales and Marketing by the Hospitality Sales Marketing Association International, and has received numerous accolades in Sustainable Tourism from other industry peers such as the Travel Weekly Magellan Awards and National Geographic Traveller Magazine. He has also testified before the Senate Energy & Natural Resources Committee, submitted testimony to them and met with and submitted official comments to the Secretary of the Interior as well as Secretary of Agriculture who oversee the US Forest Service. The areas of focus within the testimony consisted of fisheries and wildlife management, land protection and preservation, and nature based tourism.
Hunter has focused his philanthropic efforts on issues of conservation, health, and education for future generations. Wanting to give back to the university that had given him his educational start through athletics, he was a founding supporter of the women’s soccer program at Florida State University. He also works as the Trustee and Director of the McIntosh Foundation and is a longtime donor to St. Jude’s Children’s Research Hospital, where he also worked as the Regional Director of fundraising for the Mid-Atlantic region.
To ensure that the McIntosh family legacy of nature conservation continues, Hunter and his wife Amber enjoy exploring the world around them with their daughter, Aspen.
Philippe Cousteau says of him, “Hunter McIntosh’s commitment to conservation and his leadership in the tourism industry is proof of the incredible impact that one individual can have in making our water planet a better place.”
Kathy Nissley
Early in her career, Kathy took a break from nursing school to deliver yachts to the Virgin Islands – and never looked back.
Kathy was first introduced to The Boat Company during a stop in Florida where she was hired to complete varnishing on the Liseron. As an island person, she never imagined a move to Alaska; but when offered a position on the boat, she conceded to a northern relocation. In the years since then, Kathy has worked in almost every capacity, ultimately settling into her present office role where she handles all guest travel reservations with a personal touch. Though she was resistant to moving off the boat and into the office, she finds great joy in helping guests prepare for what she knows will be their “trip of a lifetime.” To complete her Boat Company fairytale, she found the love of her life in a carpenter on one of the boats. They’ve been together for over 2 decades.
Considering herself “allergic to the indoors,” Kathy converted a piece of land into a camp ground where she and her grandkids spend most every weekend. Furthering celebrating her love for the outdoors, you can find Kathy walking home from work everyday – except when she’s off to Yoga class.
Mary Ann Confar
After several years working in professional theater and then running the education program on a Tall Ship, Mary Ann found her way to Alaska and The Boat Company. On the Liseron, she served as an assistant to the chef in the summers and stayed aboard for winter maintenance. An opportunity with The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation called her back to “land work,” where she honed her technology and information management skills as a computer trainer in over 500 rural libraries across the US. Mary Ann made one last stop before returning to The Boat Company and obtained a Masters in Library and Information Services from the University of Washington.
In her current role, Mary Ann refers to herself as The Boat Company’s “resident geek,” handling all technical and information management functions to ensure our guests have a seamless, personally tailored travel experience.
Good luck keeping up with Mary Ann when she’s not at the Boat Company office. In the off hours, she teaches computer classes for local senior citizens, working as a reference librarian at the community college, plays with her Yorkshire Terrier, and provides tech support for friends & family.
Andy Peters
Captain & Interim Operations Manager Andy Peters graduated from the University of Rhode Island in 1979 where he studied marine technology and commercial fisheries. He has worked in operations, supply, business development, sales, marketing, strategic planning and account management in the marine, industrial and high tech sector, including public outreach experience as an official US Delegate to the International Maritime Organization. He has served on workboats, yachts, passenger, research, sport and commercial fishing vessels and has worked with naval architects, marine engineers, suppliers, customers, regulatory agencies, and satellite service operators.
Married to Kathleen, a fisheries biologist and salmon habitat specialist, he is the father of Emily, a former crewmember who now works for the World Affairs Council, International Visitor Program in Seattle and Andrew Joel, who is studying philosophy, language and history at St. Johns College in Santa Fe, when not fishing in Bristol Bay. He has deep Alaskan roots; both parents are from Alaska; his mother – a member the Bushman family who settled Petersburg – and his grandfather was a territorial judge and salmon cannery operator on Prince of Wales Island where his father was raised.
