Meet our board of directors

Tamara Deverell- Co-Chair

With over 35 years of experience in film and television, Tamara Deverell has devoted her talents as a Production Designer and Art Director to a wide range of projects spanning diverse periods and styles. Her work has earned numerous accolades, including Academy Award and BAFTA nominations, an Emmy Award, and multiple honours from the Art Directors Guild and Directors Guild of Canada.

When not working in film, Tamara continues her creative practice independently as an artist and maker. She has also contributed to her industry through past service on the Board of Directors of the Directors Guild of Canada, Ontario Division.

After spending eight years as a part-time resident of Cape Breton, Tamara and her husband, photographer Ken Woroner, have now made West Cape Breton their full-time home. She is thrilled to serve as Co-Chair of the I.C.C.A. Board, supporting arts and culture in this extraordinary community she is proud to call home.

Bob Macleod- Co-Chair

Bob is a retired engineering specialist and manager from the aerospace industry who now lives in Scotsville, Inverness County. Raised in Massachusetts by hardworking Cape Breton parents, he grew up with strong values, a sense of privilege, and a deep belief in giving back to his community.

Although his career spanned more than forty years in engineering and technology, Bob has always believed that the arts are essential to a healthy society. He has been disheartened to see art programs removed from schools and diminished in political priorities. Having enjoyed ICCA programs for many years, he joined the Board in November 2024 to help support and strengthen the Centre’s goals.

Bob brings extensive volunteer and leadership experience, including service as a church youth leader, scout leader, president of Truro Soccer, board member with Soccer Nova Scotia, volunteer with the Nature Conservancy of Canada, and Chair of the Department of National Defence’s E3 Working Group for a multi-million-dollar avionic upgrade of the CP140 Aurora maritime patrol aircraft. In retirement, he enjoys acrylic and watercolour painting, rock painting, folk art, writing haiku, and walking his dog, Scotty.

Emily Falencki - Vice Chair

Emily Falencki is an artist who lives and works between North End Halifax and Cape Breton Island. She is the founder and director of 2482 Maynard and the Blue Building Gallery. Raised in New York City, Falencki completed her BFA at NSCAD University and her MFA at the National College of Art and Design in Dublin, Ireland.

Rooted in a deep commitment to personal narratives and their connection to shared human experience, Falencki’s artistic practice inspired her to establish a new kind of art space in Halifax. Through 2482 Maynard and the Blue Building, she has created affordable, fully accessible studios for artists, provided long-term space for artist-run non-profits, and developed a dynamic exhibition program featuring international, national, and regional artists.

Emily has served on the ICCA Board since 2020.

Eileen MacKinnon - Treasurer

Eileen is a retired physiotherapist who lives in Deepdale. A lifelong appreciator of all forms of art, she is delighted to live so close to an arts centre and to support its work. She joined the ICCA Board in October 2023. Eileen has a strong background in community service, having volunteered with the Halifax Community Health Board and contributed to the Halifax FALLS Coalition.

Johanna Padelt - Secretary

A former English teacher, Johanna discovered a passion for jewellery making after moving to Cape Breton in 1971. Now retired, she creates art from found materials and is exploring memoir writing. Throughout her life, Johanna has remained deeply engaged in artistic pursuits. She was a founding partner of Arts North in Cape North in 1981, and in the mid-2000s served on the ICCA exhibition committee.

Johanna was pleased to be a vital part of the ICCA Board, where she continues to enjoy working collaboratively and contributing to her community.

Sheena Boucher

Originally from Broad Cove, Sheena Boucher spent 20 years working across several provinces in Canada in the wellness and events industries. Since returning home to Inverness County in 2023, she has been operating her Massage Therapy practice and teaching Cape Breton step dancing and fiddle to youth. She also engages in community events as an avid volunteer.

With a background spanning healthcare, event management, and community arts, Sheena brings a multidisciplinary perspective to her work. She holds diplomas in Massage Therapy and Event Management, along with additional training in art therapy and non-profit management.

She is passionate about fostering connections between wellness, creativity, and community life in rural Nova Scotia.

Tyra Denning

Tyra Denny is a Mi’kmaw poet, artist, crafter, writer, and mother. Tyra recently participated in the Cabot Trail Writers festival, sharing short readings and teachings, guiding the audience through the Skye River Trail and sharing her culture and community. She is an advocate for Mi'kmaw communities and shares her knowledge to bring awareness and teachings to communities around her. She will also be joining ICCA as part of the Culture and Inclusion Committee.

Angela Grauerholz

The work of artist/photographer and graphic designer Angela Grauerholz has been widely exhibited and collected in Canada, the United States, and Europe. She has participated in many international events of distinction, including the Sydney Biennale (1990), Documenta IX (1992), the Carnegie International (1995) and the Montréal Biennale (2004). In 1995, a survey exhibition organized by the Musée d’art contemporain de Montréal travelled to several institutions in Canada, Germany and France. In 2010, the National Gallery of Canada in Ottawa mounted a retrospective exhibition of her work, which was consequently shown at the University of Toronto Art Centre in 2011. She was awarded several prestigious prizes for her accomplishments in the arts, such as Québec’s Prix Paul-Émile Borduas (2006), the Canada Council’s Governor General Award in Visual and Media Arts (2014), and in 2015, the distinguished Scotiabank Photography Award (Toronto), the latter resulted in another important survey exhibition at the (Ryerson) Image Centre in Toronto in 2016.

As Professor Emerita at the École de design, Université du Québec à Montréal (UQAM) —where she also directed the Centre de design (2008 to 2012)—she taught typography and photography from 1988 to 2017. In 2019, the Emily Carr University of Art + Design awarded her an Honorary Doctorate of Letters.

Born in Hamburg, Germany, she moved to Montréal in 1976 to pursue a Master’s degree in Photography following her studies in Graphic Design (Diploma/4 years) and a Bachelor's degree in Literature and Linguistics. Today, she divides her time between Montréal and Cape Breton, where she settled in East Margaree in 1998.

Donna Kimberly

Donna Kimberley first visited Cape Breton Island as a young child, and something about the place captured her imagination—an impression that has stayed with her throughout her life. She has returned to the island for more than thirty years and recently built a home in Southwest Mabou. Donna and her husband now divide their time between southern Ontario and Cape Breton Island.

Donna’s work experience spans Social Services, small business ownership, and the creative sector. She and her husband owned and operated an insurance agency for many years, and after selling the business, Donna ran a booth at the Christie Vintage and Antique Show, Canada’s longest-running and largest outdoor antiques market. She has also worked for The Inverness Oran and has contributed freelance writing and photography to various magazines.

A committed community volunteer, Donna has supported numerous organizations, including local schools, Katimavik, Habitat for Humanity, and the Grimsby Benevolent Fund. She has also served on the Board of Directors for the Arthritis Society.

Donna studied writing at McMaster University in Hamilton and holds a Master’s degree in Economic Community Development from Cape Breton University.

Having always considered Inverness County a special place, Donna is honoured to join the ICCA Board of Directors and looks forward to contributing to its ongoing growth and vitality.

Kyle MacDonald

Kyle Kennedy MacDonald, a school music teacher from Inverness, is happy to contribute to ICCA. Raised on North Highlands Road, Foot Cape, Kyle is a proponent of the traditional music of the area's Scottish Gaelic-speaking settlers. An award-winning musician, Kyle has shared traditional music both locally and internationally, having been invited to perform in the UK and the US. He is a former board member of St. Francis Xavier University, Strathspey Place Performing Arts Centre, with experience working at Colaisde na Gaidhlig, Baile nan Gaidheal and the Halifax Citadel Regimental Association.

As a teacher, Kyle has worked for the Strait Regional for Education, Cape Breton-Victoria Regional Centre for Education, and the Nova Scotia Department of Education International Programs Division. He is regularly featured on the faculty list at Colaisde na Gaidhlig, and has also worked for Nova Scotia Community College.

Current Project:

Good Crowd features Jason Roach, piano and James MacLean, guitar

Ben MacKay

Ben graduated from St. Francis Xavier University in December 2024 with a degree in Political Science. For three years, he has served as Deputy Curator of the Inverness Historical Society. In 2024, he led the effort to restructure the Society’s Board of Directors, which had been largely inactive for several years. Since the restructuring, Ben has continued to serve as an administrator for the Board, gaining valuable insight into effective board governance and operations.

Ben has volunteered in a variety of community roles, including with the Inverness Gathering Committee, St. John’s Pastoral Charge’s Minister Search Committee, and the 2023 Atlantic Economic Forum in Antigonish. He was also the founding president of the StFX Musical Coast Society, which over the past year has hosted and promoted a series of events celebrating the musical, political, and cultural contributions of Inverness County.

Kate Steele

Kate Steele is a fourth-year Psychology and Sociology student at St. Francis Xavier University with a strong background in youth engagement, community service, and photography. Raised in Cape Breton, she has been deeply involved in volunteer work from a young age, including leadership roles in 4-H, school committees, and local youth programs.

Kate has extensive experience working with children—as a sports camp leader, youth curling instructor, daycare volunteer, and Literacy Camp Counsellor. She recently worked as a Research Assistant at StFX, contributing to studies on children’s sharing and fairness.

A passionate photographer, Kate runs a growing Instagram photography account with over 3,000 followers. Her work has earned multiple provincial 4-H awards, and she has experience as a Photographer and Videographer for the StFX Student Union. She plans to launch her own photography business in the near future.

Friendly, dedicated, and community-minded, Kate brings creativity and leadership to every project she takes on.

Paul Vincent-Smith

Paul arrived in the Inverness area a long time ago, having travelled from England via Toronto. For many years, he split his time between the two places—six months in Inverness and six months working in Toronto—until settling in Inverness permanently in 2001.

Paul now operates a real estate brokerage with his wife, Leslie Freeman, and together they have raised five children and cultivated several remarkable gardens in this special place. He maintains a lighthearted ambition to become a landscape architect “when he grows up.”

Paul has also contributed to community development as a former Board Member of the Inverness Development Association.

Natalie Wood

Natalie Wood is a Human Resources leader with experience across multiple industries and global operations. Originally from the Maritimes, she returned often after her family moved to Toronto and later graduated from the University of New Brunswick. After many years of wondering if her art history minor would ever serve a purpose beyond pub trivia nights, she is delighted to see it come full circle through her support of the arts in Inverness County.

Natalie moved to Cape Breton in 2023 to lead Human Resources at Cabot Cape Breton. She quickly fell in love with the island, making her home in Margaree Harbour and dividing her time between family in Toronto and peace on the island.

She is now focused on consulting work that supports purpose-driven organizations and strengthens the communities she cares about. Having enjoyed ICCA programming since her arrival, she is grateful for the opportunity to give back in support of arts and culture in the place she now calls home.