Board Biographies

Susan Golets (Chair) has spent more than 30 years working in the not-for-profit and public sector. She is an experienced leader with the Ontario provincial government, and  has worked in a variety of ministries. Over the years she has lead transformational change initiatives in complex policy and political environments by: conceptualizing strategic policy frameworks, designing integrated programs, building partnerships and effective relationships with stakeholders, and developing high performing teams to deliver timely results. She is currently the Director, Sport Recreation and Community Programs Policy Branch for the Ministry of Tourism, Culture and Sport. Susan has a Masters degree in Social Work from the University of Toronto and most recently, for six years, served on the board of the Fred Victor Centre, where she also chaired the Service Quality Committee. Susan and Nestor love to travel in Canada and abroad, and they are avid collectors of whatever moves them.

Julie Riches (President) is Principal of Riches Appraisals & Consult. Julie has been involved in the realm of material culture for over fifteen years. Her participation in the decorative arts and fine arts sector includes appraisal work, object identification, charitable auctioneering, valuation workshops, event planning and volunteering to advance the profession of qualified appraisers. She is an accredited personal property appraiser whose practice focuses on elements of decorative arts and design. Following in the footsteps of her family matriarch, Julie learned early on that every object has a story to tell. Areas of expertise include ceramics, metalware, glass, furniture, textiles, fine craft, coins, and militaria. Julie's time with the CSDA has provided an excellent opportunity to work with others towards building a community through arts and culture. Previous volunteerism with non-profits and not-for-profits has focused on the development of new member strategies, membership retention, and the implementation of innovative learning platforms.

Shi Qiu (Secretary) is a passionate art professional with experience in both the private and public sectors. He is currently a part of the Curatorial team at the McMichael Canadian Art Collection, where he has worked closely with the Chief Curator to realize more than 10 exhibitions, many of which toured across Canada. Prior to joining the McMichael, he worked for many years in decorative arts auction and was one of the leading Asian Art auction specialists in the country. An immigrant and fluent in Mandarin Chinese, Shi’s engagement with the decorative arts and design is continually informed by his cross-cultural background. He received a B.A. and a M.A. in Art History from the University of Toronto.

Dr. Sarah Alford is a craft and design historian with an interrelated art practice. She has undergraduate degrees in Jewellery/Metalsmithing and Art History and was awarded a Fulbright to attend the School of the Art Institute of Chicago where she earned an MA in Visual and Critical Studies, and MFA in Fiber and Material Studies. She earned her PhD in Art History and Art Conservation at Queen’s University, Kingston, and has exhibited across Canada, Scotland, and the United States, including the Museum of Arts and Design in New York and the Museum of Contemporary Art in Chicago. She has published articles in the Journal of Stained Glass, Journal for Artistic Research, and Journal of Design History, and has an upcoming book publication: Art Botany in British Design Reform: 1830-1865 for Bloomsbury Press.

Charlotte Mickie – Charlotte is an avid collector of contemporary art and has served in the past as a Director of the Board for the Powerplant and Advisory Board Member of C Magazine. On a professional level, Charlotte is the Vice-President of international arthouse film sales company Celluloid Dreams, based in Paris.  She has most recently handled IMAGINE (Critics’ Week, Cannes Film Festival, 2022), HIT THE ROAD (Cannes, Directors’ Fortnight, 2021), BABYTEETH (Venice Biennale Competition 2019, winner of the Marcello Mastroianni prize), and Oscar short-listed THE PAINTED BIRD (Venice Biennale Competition 2019).  Through her career Charlotte has represented movies by directors such as Jacques Audiard, Francois Ozon, Atom Egoyan, Todd Haynes, Michael Moore, Benh Zeitlin, Todd Solondz, and Hirokazu Koreeda. Charlotte is a returning Expert for ACE (Ateliers du cinéma Européen) and a voting member of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. 

Stephanie Rebick is a curator, editor and writer based in the unceded territories of the xʷmə kʷəyəm (Musqueam), S wxwú7mesh (Squamish) and səlilwəta (Tsleil-Waututh) Nations. She is currently Director of Publishing and Content Strategy at the Vancouver Art Gallery. She also frequently collaborates with Information Office, a Vancouver-based art book publisher and design practice. Stephanie has curated and co-curated numerous exhibitions including Fashion Fictions (forthcoming); Where do we go from here?; Modern in the Making: Post-War Craft and Design in British Columbia; Robert Rauschenberg 1965–1980; Out of Sight; Guo Pei: Couture Beyond; Cabin Fever; MashUp: The Birth of Modern Culture; and Grand Hotel: Redesigning Modern Life. She has contributed to a number of publications including KRAZY! The Delirious World of Anime + Comics + Video Games + Art; Visceral Bodies; Unreal; Grand Hotel; and MashUp. Most recently she has edited volumes on the work of Jan Wade and Omer Arbel. Her curatorial interests include visual culture, new media and the intersection of craft, design and contemporary art.

Janice P. Warren - is a lawyer who specializes in business immigration, primarily representing Canadians wishing to relocate to the United States. She is an ardent collector of art glass, keenly encouraging young makers in Ontario. She was on the Board of Craft Ontario for 10 years as well as chairing its event/fundraising committee. Until recently Janice volunteered in the same capacity with Dress for Success. She was a regularly published restaurant reviewer/critic. 

Henry Wiercinski - was a partner in a national law firm practicing in business law. Since retirement he consults on legal matters. Henry has interests in transportation, urban development and the arts. He is vice-chair of the Annex Residents’ Association, vice-chair of Rail Safety First, a coalition that advocates for safe, transparent and accountable rail, and a director of pointA, a not for profit transportation demand company.

Erin Wiley - is an Associate Specialist, Decorative Arts and Design at Waddington's Auctioneers and Appraisers in Toronto. Erin earned her BA in Art History from Queen’s University and completed a graduate certificate in Culture and Heritage Site Management from Centennial College. Her past work includes various positions at the Gardiner Museum as well as work in the interior design sector. In belonging to CSDA/CCAD and the Young Professionals & Creatives Committee, Erin hopes to bring together young people from all over the country into conversation about what the decorative arts mean in Canada today.

Anthony Wu - is an Asian Art consultant and researcher for various auction houses and private clients in Canada and the USA. Recently, he has been in charge of setting up Asian Art sales at Heffel, Canada's national auction house. Anthony has a B.A. and M.A. in Art History from the University of Toronto. He is a USPAP-compliant appraiser and a Certified Member with the Appraisers Association of America. He is also a consultant and official Asian Art blogger for the New York-based auction platform Bidsquare.com, a regular contributor to Orientations magazine in Hong Kong, and on the board of the Gardiner Museum and the Canadian Association of Personal Property Appraisers. Anthony is passionate about Asian decorative arts and frequently travels the world to visit museum collections and auction previews.