Sharon (she/her) is a marine biology scientist who retired in 2015 after 30 years working for Fisheries and Oceans Canada in St Andrews, Moncton and Ottawa. She joined the Sunbury Shores Board shortly after her return to St Andrews in 2009, as Director of the St Andrews Biological Station. She loves the juxtaposition of art and nature, as well as Sunbury Shore’s role as an inclusive centre for all levels of artistic creativity and appreciation. In 2016, she stepped down from her second Board term to take on the Executive Director role at the Centre in an interim capacity for a year. Her other, local, Board experience includes the Fundy Community Foundation, Huntsman Marine Science Centre and Charlotte Dial-A-Ride. She is also involved with the St Andrews Nature Club, the Kiwanis Club of St Andrews, and the Garden-by-the-Sea Club (as a proponent of gardening-by-neglect).

Susan (she/her) has a bachelor’s degree in business administration and a master’s degree in public administration, with a concentration in non-profit management, from the University of Maine. She has held accounting and fundraising positions within the non-profit sector. She has attended numerous art classes at Sunbury Shores and is passionate about the organization and its role within the community. Susan as an artist works in several mediums. She is an award-winning wood carver, has exhibited in stone and works in metal. Currently drawn to watercolour, she finds inspiration in the wonders of the natural environment around her.  She looks to apply her business and creative background to ensure access for all to Sunbury Shores, a vital community asset.

A graduate of UBC, Université Laval and Carleton University, Richard is a retired Canadian diplomat who spent three-quarters of his career working in Canadian embassies abroad, primarily in Europe, Asia and Africa. Acutely aware of the potential of the arts to promote Canada and Canadian values, as well as the importance of exposing Canada’s creative industries to international audiences, he has worked overseas with anglophone, francophone, indigenous and immigrant Canadian artists in sectors as diverse as film, theatre, literature and music. He has also been active in supporting young local artists as entrepreneurs in areas such as art, fashion, music and dance. Impressed – when he retired with his spouse to Chamcook Lake in early 2023 – by the strong community spirit of Charlotte County as well as by the vibrancy of its artistic and creative communities, Richard looks forward to contributing to the dynamism of Sunbury as it moves towards its second sixty years as a key element of the regional arts ecosystem.

Following her arts career in New England, Clare (she/her) has been a metalsmith living initially in Nova Scotia prior to moving to Harvey, New Brunswick in 2022. Over the years Clare has been a recognized artisan, winning a number of awards in Nova Scotia with her one-of-a kind jewelry, inspired by nature. In addition, she owned and operated two fine craft galleries in New England. Therefore, her background, infused with “both sides of the table”, has enabled her to aid in non-profit arts groups with organizational planning and development, while recognizing the unique, creative skills of the many artists she has come into contact with over the years. It is with this experience and energy that she is proud to join the board of Sunbury Shores Arts & Ecology, and encourage inspiring new paths for artists and the community.

Diane is a registered nurse and graduate of International Development Studies from McGill University. She worked on the Kidney Transplant Unit of the Royal Victoria Hospital in Montreal and embraced community volunteer work, on top of being a full-time mother and grandmother. She was President of UNICEF Canada, and owned two St Stephen businesses (Antiquarius Antiques & Collectables, and Bistro on the Boulevard). Other Board and volunteer commitments include the Windsor Foundation, Saint Andrews Dragonboat Club, Fundy Region Transition House, Charlotte Dial a Ride and Neighbourhood Works in St Stephen. Diane brings a passion for community that will greatly contribute to the all-inclusive mandate for creativity provided by Sunbury Shores.

Kate Giles is neurodiverse and genderqueer artist, curator, and white settler living in New Brunswick, the traditional territory of the Peskotomuhkati nation. They are a graduate of Emily Carr University of Art & Design (ECUAD,) having achieved a Bachelor’s Degree in Visual Arts with a minor in Curatorial Practices. Their current practice follows two main tracks; a focus on translocal spaces and community as well as how we occupy our bodies, how our bodies occupy spaces, and the impacts of nostalgia and mental health. As someone who lives in New Brunswick, works in Ottawa, and helps manage a Vancouver artists disability collective, they prioritize the connections and opportunities found in alternative spaces.

Jennifer Baird is a New Brunswick based artist and educational leader with two decades of professional experience in the field of public education. With deep roots in Atlantic Canada and a vested interest in improving quality of life through innovative excellence in education, Jennifer is focused on building community and bridging urban and rural divides through equitable access to enrichment and the arts. A graduate of the New Brunswick College of Craft and Design (ceramics), Jennifer holds undergraduate degrees in Anthropology and Education (UNB), masters degrees in Educational Psychology (MSVU) and Educational Leadership (MUN), and is currently pursuing doctoral studies at Western University. Her pottery and paintings are influenced by local maritime landscapes, functionality, and honouring the beauty of simplicity.