Board of Management

Craft + Design Canberra is supported by a Board of management. Members are drawn from the Canberra and region craft and design network and are experienced in the areas of professional practice, administration, business management and financial administration.

Image | 2026 Craft + Design Canberra Board | Photography by 5 Foot Photography

2026 CRAFT + DESIGN CANBERRA BOARD

 

CHAIR

Giang Tan | Secretary and Public Officer (2024) | Lawyer 

Giang is a corporate and commercial lawyer with a tax background. She is an experienced lawyer having worked in legal and tax consulting roles for both government and the private sector providing sound commercial advice. She has excellent technical skills across a range of areas, with a particular interest in corporate governance, trusts and tax. Giang takes a pragmatic and results based approach that takes account of her clients’ political, policy and commercial drivers. She enjoys working with clients to navigate their legislative obligations, solve their legal problems and achieve their objectives. Giang’s co-operative and personal approach allows her to build strong relationships with the clients and her peers. She can seamlessly fit into each new environment she encounters and is experienced in managing and meeting tight time frames in high pressure settings.

 

DEPUTY CHAIR

Dion Pretorius | Associate Partner and Director of Strategy Supercurious 

With more than a decade working in communications, policy, advocacy and engagement across the government and not-for-profit sectors, Dion is a passionate strategist focused on impact. Driven by data and research, Dion is Associate Partner and Director of Strategy at creative agency Supercurious. Facts, figures and fascinating stories are central to his work, and in delivering these to audiences and decision-makers, he works to inform, inspire and empower them to change the world for the better. Highlights from his career include developing nationally significant brands from the ground up; building and engaging digital platforms to engage millions of users; rolling out multimillion dollar retail campaigns; supporting the acquisition of hundreds of millions of dollars of Government funding for research; and securing royalty, Prime Ministers and other high profile decision makers for the launch or roll out of impactful programs. He is also a proud member of the LGBTIQ+ and disability communities, an avid DIYer, and a visual artist-in-training.

 

TREASURER

Tess Manuel | Treasurer (2024) | Accountant 

Tess Manuel is a CPA (Australia) qualified accountant with 13+ years’ experience and deep expertise in her major focus areas of costing and business performance analysis. She has demonstrated capability in managing external and internal stakeholders. She has provided executive leadership and stakeholders with reports, recommendations and analytical insight and led teams to implement business improvements closely aligned to the organisational strategy and objectives. She has extensive board experience with community groups including Canberra Malayalee association, Koottukaaree, Federation of Indian Association of ACT and Fitted for Work.

 

SECRETARY

Belinda Popovich | Board Member (2025) | Commercial Retail Manager ACT Business Services 

Belinda Popovich is a business leader with extensive experience in commercial strategy, stakeholder engagement, and governance. She has successfully driven business performance through strategic planning, financial analysis, and risk management in the property and retail sectors. A strong advocate for collaboration between businesses and nonprofit organisations, Belinda has led initiatives that connect commercial enterprises with community groups to drive meaningful social impact. Her expertise in fostering partnerships is evident through her fundraising work and community engagement efforts, ensuring sustainable benefits for local organisations. Passionate about the arts, she actively participates in oil painting and life drawing workshops, aligning her professional skills with her deep appreciation for Canberra’s creative community.

 

ORDINARY COMITTEE MEMBERS

Delephene Fraser (Ngunnawal) | Ordinary member and First Nations representative (2026) | PhD Candidate 

Delephene Fraser is a Ngunnawal woman, the traditional owners of ACT and surrounding NSW area. Della is currently developing guidelines and protocols on how to care for and use the University of Canberra Faculty of Arts and Design Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Art and Artefact Teaching Collection. She has completed a Bachelor of Australian Politics & Public Policy with a major in Aboriginal Policy at the University of Canberra and a Master’s in Public Policy, specialisation of Indigenous Policy at the Crawford School of Public Policy, Australian National University. Her current research interests include decolonisation, Aboriginal women, feminism, and modern adaptations of governance frameworks of Aboriginal culture and communities.

 

Dr Ben Ennis- Butler | Ordinary Member | Academic, University of Canberra

Dr Ben Ennis-Butler is a Senior Lecturer in Design and the Bachelor of Design Program Director at the University of Canberra. He has a long professional practice in interaction design and brings both deep technical knowledge and a practitioner's sensibility to his teaching, centred on curiosity-driven learning that uses Canberra itself as a lens for situating local design culture within broader global histories and practices. His practice-based research is focused on revealing new ways of exploring digital cultural heritage collections across web-based and physical experiences. Ben has a longstanding interest in Australian design, mid-century architecture, and local history.

 

Dr Erin Hinton | Ordinary Member | CEO, Alastair Swayn Foundation

Dr. Erin Hinton is a registered architect with over 20 years of experience across both academia and practice. She is current CEO of the Alastair Swayn Foundation, chair of the ACT Architects Board and National President of the Architecture Accreditation Council of Australia. Renowned for her ability to operate at the intersections of practice, education, and research, Erin is a recognized thought leader dedicated to the development of future architects and advancement of the architectural profession. Her work and advocacy in relation to our urban futures and the pivotal role of design and architecture within this, has established Erin as a respected figure across Australian design and architecture communities.

 

MEMBERSHIP REPRESENTATIVES

Josephine Townsend | Membership Representative (2025) | Contemporary ceramicist

Josephine Townsend is a ceramic artist working from her home studio in Canberra. She has been working with clay since the late nineties. Her full-time art practice began in 2015, after finishing university study and careers in both teaching and the public service. She has a busy retail practice, with several stockists in and around Canberra, regular markets and sales from her studio. She also exhibits regularly, enabling her to explore more complex ideas, forms and surface designs. Josephine is an active member of the Canberra ceramics community. From 2017-2020 she was the Education Manager at Canberra Potters, overseeing a period of strong growth in the range and number of available classes and workshops. She continues to teach ceramics there, as well as conduct workshops around the region. She has experience on working a range of committees and boards, including government and industry forums, Australian Standards technical committees and school boards.

 

NON VOTING

Jodie Cunningham | Craft + Design Canberra CEO and Artistic Director

Jodie Cunningham is CEO and Artistic Director of Craft + Design Canberra, one of Australia’s leading creative centres for the development of visual art, craft and design. Jodie manages the overall operations and resources, acting as the main point of communication between the board of directors, staff, members, sponsors and government bodies. She is the public face of the organisation, curating a vibrant program of exhibitions, residencies and cross-disciplinary collaborations including the DESIGN Canberra Festival.

Cunningham is a highly creative arts leader, visual artist and educator with extensive experience in developing and delivering innovative exhibitions, public programs in museums, galleries and art contexts. She also has an extensive background in visual art and design education and a commitment to mentoring developing artists and fostering collaboration.

Cunningham advocates for the power of creativity, the arts and cultural activity to provide hope to our communities, strengthen our local and national cultural identities, and facilitate social change.

 

Penny Boyer | Immediate Past Chair | Photographer, Educator

Penny Boyer has worked in the art, craft, and design industries for over 35 years and continues to have a keen interest in arts, craft, design and photography. She has a Masters in Visual Arts in photography and studied architecture, ran her own photographic business and worked as an arts educator at the Canberra Institute of Technology (CIT) for 25 years teaching photography before becoming Head of Department/Education Manager for Fashion, Photography, Visual Arts, Graphic Design, Architectural Design and Interior Design. She set up the first ever degree level programs at the CIT (in Fashion and Photography), working collaboratively with institutions within Australia, New Zealand, the UK and the USA. Her work has involved collaborating with many organisations to secure sponsorship and organise events, these includes National cultural institutions, local arts organisations, education institutions, government departments and business, locally, nationally, and internationally. Penny has over 10 years of arts governance experience gained on the Capital Arts Patrons Organisation (CAPO) board (1999-2009).