Meet the NCECA Staff

Meet the NCECA Staff

Meet the Staff

  • helen@nceca.net


  • Helen Anderson has been with NCECA since 2005. She graduated in 1994 from Saint Michael's College in Vermont with her master’s degree in business administration with a concentration in Finance. Helen has spent her professional life working in Finance and Accounting beginning in the early 90’s in the banking industry. Helen’s personal passions include being outdoors hiking and biking as well as spending time with her boys, her friends and two dogs in Colorado.

  • communications@nceca.net

  • Edith Garcia oversees the strategic long-term planning and implementation of communications at NCECA. She collaborates across the organization and works closely with the Board of Directors and NCECA’s creative team to develop marketing and branding initiatives that advance and amplify the organization’s mission and vision.

    Garcia received her BFA from the Minneapolis College of Art and Design, her MFA from the California College of the Arts, and an MPhil from the Royal College of Art in London. She has authored numerous publications on visual and design culture, including VJ: Audio-Visual Art and VJ Culture (with D-Fuse) and Ceramics and the Human Figure (A&C Black). Her work has also been featured in Confrontational Ceramics, Ceramic Review Magazine, American Craft Magazine, Ceramics: Art and Perception, Ceramics Monthly, and Breaking the Mould: New Approaches to Ceramics.

    Garcia remains actively engaged in critical research exploring the convergence of contemporary art, technology, and visual culture through curatorial projects, publishing, and the realization of creative productions.

  • josh@nceca.net

  • Josh Green has served as NCECA’s executive director since late 2010. From 1989 until just prior to taking on his present role, his work with Manchester Craftsmen’s Guild in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania was filled with transformative professional experiences and relationships.

    Curiously and perhaps disturbingly, as a toddler he is said to have been discovered walking into a party in a family friend’s home carrying a portion of what had been a small pet turtle. Thankfully, this curiosity turned toward creative pursuits through clay when during his teens, his older brother, Bob who would become a studio potter, conspired with their dad to bring a potters wheel into the family home as a birthday gift. During this time, his awareness of the art-form expanded through summer instruction at Hinckley Haystack in Maine where he encountered Michael and Magdalena Frimkess, a glaze chemistry course at Greenwich House Pottery, and a kiln building workshop.

    He went on to earn his BA at Bennington College in Vermont where he studied writing and visual art while continuing to focus in ceramics with Jane Ford Aebersold and Stanley Rosen, before earning his MFA at the Cranbrook Academy of Art where he studied with Jun Kaneko and met his wife, artist and educator Denise Suska Green. Over time, Green has continued to write about ceramics, community arts, and other topics. Over time he has also taught at Central Piedmont Community College (Charlotte, NC), Carnegie Mellon University and Chatham University (Pittsburgh, PA). Green has exhibited work nationally and received grants from Pennsylvania Council on the Arts, The Japan Fulbright Teachers’ Fund, and other sources. His writing has been published by NCECA, Ceramics: Art and Perception, Ceramics Technical, American Craft, The Journal of the National Art Education Association, Arts HANSA-UNESCO, and others.

  • jacqueline@nceca.net

  • Jacqueline Hardy studied painting and found a love of pottery at Colby-Sawyer College in New London, NH. She received a BS in Art Management with a minor in business in 1996. Before joining NCECA, Jacqueline owned her own paint-your-own-pottery studio and espresso bar. Outside of NCECA Jacqueline is an avid soulful hip hop fitness dancer who also enjoys mountain biking and hiking in Boulder, Colorado.

    Jacqueline has been handling the operations in office and as a virtual office for over 10 years. She manages the MemberSuite AMS, membership and registration support, accounts receivables, onsite conference registration and the online user portal. She looks forward to each new city NCECA embarks upon to connect with new clay friends and reconnect with returning conference attendees.

  • allyson@nceca.net

  • Allyson Hoffelmeyer earned a BFA with an emphasis in ceramics from the University of Missouri, Columbia, in 2015, and continued her studies as a post-baccalaureate student in ceramics at the University of Colorado, Boulder, from 2016-2018. Allyson lives in Louisville, Colorado, with her husband, Daniel, and their Australian Shepherd, Talli. She enjoys gardening, crosswords, and spending time in her studio working with various materials.

    Allyson first volunteered with NCECA registration in 2017, returned as a seasonal employee, and then joined the staff full-time in the fall of 2021. As the Programs, Fellowships, & Awards Manager, she oversees conference programming, presenters, fellowships, nominations, and awards. Allyson works closely with both the communications and publications teams and sits on the Collaboration and Engagement Committee and the Green Task Force.

  • support@nceca.net

  • As a passionate artist and educator, I have had the opportunity to instruct students of all levels in courses centered around ceramics and other creative endeavors. My main goal as an instructor is to enable students to realize their personal and professional aspirations by cultivating their talents and honing their skills. I firmly believe that anything is possible with patient training and guidance.

  • tammy@nceca.net

  • After studying Psychology at the University of Wisconsin and then working for years as a professional baker while taking clay classes on the side, Tammy L Lynn changed courses and pursued a career in clay. She received a BFA at the Metropolitan State University of Denver, Colorado, with a concentration in Ceramics. Tammy then worked as a facility supervisor and instructor at the Boulder Pottery Lab, a community ceramic studio founded by Betty Woodman in the 1950s. During this time, Tammy joined the Boulder Potters Guild, where she has been an instructor and active member to this day.

    Tammy came to work for NCECA in 2005 first as a volunteer, then a seasonal employee, and eventually full-time staff. As the Conference Specialist, Tammy’s tasks include managing exhibitions and volunteers, collaborating on the conference program, and overseeing sponsorship and advertising sales. Tammy also sits on the Green Task Force and the Development Committees. Tammy has a deep love for travel, is a voracious reader, dabbles in silversmithing, and continues to maintain her studio practice in clay. She lives in Boulder, Colorado, with her husband Patrick, their dog Ella, and cat Esme.

  • jessica@nceca.net

  • Jessica Merritt, PhD. is a long-time arts supporter with experience in non-profit management. As the Development Manager for NCECA, she brings a unique perspective and experience to various the organization. Her academic and professional experience provides a foundation for creating sustainable development solutions. Dr. Merritt is the proud momma of two amazing daughters. They serve as her drive to create a more inclusive world.

  • social@nceca.net


  • Madison Claire Roberts (she/they) is a seasoned narrative strategist and creative producer with experience leading mission-driven communications across arts, public interest, and advocacy spaces. Her work blends storytelling, digital media, and community-centered strategy to move audiences and inspire action.

    Madison holds a B.A. in Urban Studies from the University of California, Berkeley, and currently lives in Philadelphia with her cat, Mango.

  • jessie@nceca.net

  • Jessie Stepanek joined The National Council on Education for the Ceramic Arts in 2025, where she oversees the nonprofit and commercial exhibitor sections of the Resource Hall.

    She studied Fine Arts at St. Lawrence University and has spent much of her career working in the nonprofit sector. A lifelong creative student, Jessie has worked in painting, sculpture, and basket weaving, and in recent years has found great joy in exploring the ceramic arts. She looks forward to continued learning and inspiration within the NCECA community.

    Outside of clay, Jessie enjoys camping, traveling, and enjoying the endless possibilities of her city in Queens, New York, where she lives.

  • mzackery@nceca.net

  • MeLisa Zackery attended Howard University, graduating with her B.A. in Legal Communications, and a minor in Public Relations. Initially, she envisioned herself being a corporate attorney, but decided to pursue her heart’s desire, which was to work in events. However, her experience with contracts has been a great asset to her career.

    In 2007, MeLisa founded Unlimited Possibilities Co., a comprehensive corporate and social event management company. MeLisa prides herself on being a solution-oriented, strategic, budget conscious event and logistics coordinator with over a decade of experience in the event and hospitality industry.

    MeLisa hails from Kalamazoo, Michigan by way of the nation’s capital. In her personal time, she enjoys gardening, cooking, traveling, and spending time with her family and friends.