The Board maintains strategic oversight of the operations of the Canberra Potters’ Society/Watson Arts Centre and the finances, strategic risks and programs of CPS are standing items of discussion at each Board meeting. The Board supports the management and staff in its purpose to:
Maintain Canberra Potters and Watson Arts Centre as a dynamic, innovative and inspiring arts hub of excellence, supporting personal and professional development across all levels of ceramic arts practice while providing exciting community engagement through artist, exhibition and visitor experiences.
The board was appointed at the AGM in May 2024 and serves until the AGM in 2025. Collectively it encompasses a range of management, financial, governance, legal, education and artistic expertise:
Veronica Taylor
President
Veronica Taylor is Professor of Law and Regulation at the Australian National University (ANU) . Her expertise includes corporate governance and designing legal and regulatory reform in Australia and Asia. She was previously Director of the School of Regulation and Global Governance (RegNet) and Dean of the ANU College of Asia and the Pacific.
She has 20 years’ experience in government, corporate and non-profit boards including the Australia-Japan Foundation; ANU Enterprise, and the Australia-Japan Business Cooperation Committee (AJBCC).
Veronica is a practising ceramicist and has been an active member of Canberra Potters since 2020, after a long creative career in Japanese Tea (Chadô). She was awarded the Japanese Foreign Minister’s Citation in 2017.
Veronica holds qualifications from Monash University (LLB, BA (Hons)(Japanese Studies)), the University of Washington (LL.M.), RMIT University (Interpreting and Translating) and the Australian Institute of Company Directors (GAICD).
Janet DeBoos
Vice President
Honorary Senior Lecturer (2019- present), (Emeritus Fellow 2015-2018), Australian National University School of Art & Design. Janet was previously Head of Ceramics at ANU for over fifteen years (1998-2015), Head of Ceramics at her alma mater, East Sydney College of TAFE (now National Art School) 1979/80, and ran a production pottery (Brindabella Pottery) for almost twenty years in between. She was a Council Member, International Academy of Ceramics, (Australasian and African representative 2012-2020) and has been a member of the Academy since 2003. She is also a Professional Accredited Member of the Australian Capital Territory Craft Association, exhibiting member of The Australian Ceramic Association, and an artist member of the National Association for the Visual Arts (NAVA).
James Reading
Treasurer
James is an accomplished financial professional with 15 years’ experience in progressively senior roles within the sector. James has a track record of enhancing financial performance and driving process improvements in line with the objectives of organisations. Through these he has ensured quality, timely and accurate financial reporting, analysis and strategy.
James’ studied at the Australian National University and began his finance career in the Canberra offices of Dixon Advisory and PwC. He currently works for an international consultancy firm Kantar, having recently returned to Australia after a five-year stint in the United Kingdom.
Canberra Potters represents what James loves about Canberra, providing a wonderful facility where like-minded people can come together and explore their hobbies and professional interests. James intends to use his skillset to contribute to the growth of Canberra Potters, both as an organisation and a community.
James is a keen mountain-biker and enjoys the fantastic sense of community and facilities available in the Canberra region. His qualifications include: Chartered Accountant (full member of Chartered Accountants Australia & New Zealand); Bachelor of Commerce (Accounting/Finance) Australian National University; Bachelor of Economics; Australian National University.
Nicole James
Board Member
Nicole is an avid potter, and has been a member of Canberra Potters since moving from Brisbane in 2021. Nicole is actively involved in classes and activities at Canberra Potters. Prior to taking up pottery in 2016, Nicole was a screenprinter for many years.
In her professional career, Nicole is an environmental scientist with more than two decades of environmental planning, management and policy development spanning several states, in both the public and private sectors. Nicole co-owns and manages several family businesses.
Nicole’s qualifications include a Bachelor of Science and Diploma of Education from Macquarie University, and a Masters of Business Administration from Charles Sturt University.
Adeline Jeffery
Board Member
Adeline has been involved with the Canberra Potters’ as an intern with the Board since 2022. She loves the role arts organisations play in supporting artists, members and the community and is excited to contribute to the Canberra Potters’ Society.
Adeline works as part of an in-house consultancy service in the public sector that delivers strategic and tactical projects across a range of business areas to problem solve and co-design solutions that meet government priorities. She is experienced in stakeholder engagement, project management, visual communication and improving business operation systems and services.
She holds a Bachelor of Visual Arts and Art History and Curatorship from the Australian National University.
Michelle Watson
Board Member
Michelle has dedicated 36 years to the field of education as an Executive Teacher and Visual Arts educator across a number of ACT Government high schools and colleges. With a Bachelor of Education in Visual Arts from the then Canberra College of Advanced Education and Canberra Art School, Michelle has passionately nurtured generations of students in the creative arts.
Outside the classroom, Michelle is an active member of the Canberra Potters Society, where her love for ceramics finds a home. Known as a “course junkie,” you will find her at many of the offerings available at “Potters”.