(Back Row, L to R) Mary Leadbetter, Carla Forbes-Kelly,•Lynn Biondi, Sian Appleyard, Ann Marie Regal
(Front Row, L to R) Carmen Frings, Anne Perng, Katie Dooley

President: Carla Forbes-Kelly
Vice-President: Anna Perng
Honorary Treasurer: Carmen Frings
Honorary Secretary: Katie Dooley
Council Representative: Lynn Biondi
Council Representative: Sian Appleyard
Council Representative: Mary Friday Leadbetter
Council Representative: Ann Marie Regal

Council Member Biographies:

Carla Forbes-Kelly, President
Carla is an American citizen who has lived in Singapore for five years. She holds a Bachelor of Science degree in International Economics from Georgetown University, USA, and worked in New York City's off-Broadway theatre for over a decade. Since founding her own consulting firm in 1999, she has advised charities in the arts, social service, and disaster relief sectors. Carla joined FOM in 2005, and is an active docent at both the Asian Civilisations Museum and the National Museum of Singapore. She sat on the 2007 and 2008 FOM Councils as Honorary Secretary and the 2009 Council as Vice President and then President.

Anne Perng, Vice President
Anne has lived in Singapore for over seven years. An American citizen of Taiwanese descent, she holds Bachelor and Master of Science degrees in International Politics from Georgetown University (USA). She had worked in investment banking in the financial capitals of New York, London and Hong Kong, followed by a move to financial public relations. Having joined FOM in 2006, Anne became a docent at the Asian Civilisations Museum in 2007. She was involved in the 2007-08 ACM training team, and most recently was the Speaker Coordinator for the Foundation Course portion of the 2008-09 docent training programme. She is a mother of two and a film junkie.

Josephine Barry, Honorary Secretary
Josephine Barry and her husband moved to Singapore in 2008.  It is a region they know well as they have been visiting Singapore since the early 1980s. They have Singaporean friends from university days who live here. Docent Training (2009-2010) reinforced her knowledge and interest in Singapore and the wider Asian area. After obtaining a degree at the London School of Economics she taught in rural Jamaica. This fired her up on her return to the UK to do her Post Graduate training in Education. However marriage and several moves led her to leave teaching and switch careers.  Josephine finally ended up running for 23 years the advocacy service for National Health Service patients in West London. She then moved with her husband to Washington DC for 8 years where, among other things, she was President of the World Bank Book Project. She lived in Chengdu, China between 2004/5 when her husband was working there.

Carmen Frings, Honorary Treasurer
Carmen Frings moved to Singapore in 2004 to start a new life in a new country with a new husband. She is from Germany, where she worked as a banker for Dresdner Bank AG for seventeen years. Since coming to Singapore, Carmen has been a volunteer at the German European School and joined FOM in 2006. She trained as a docent at the Asian Civilisations Museum in 2007-08, acted as co-head of the ACM training team for 2008-09, and sat on the 2009 Council as Honorary Treasurer. When not in the museum, Carmen enjoys tennis, golf, diving, traveling and spending time with her dog.

Sian Appleyard, Council Representative
Sian Appleyard has a background in the design world with experience in a number of roles including art direction and project management. She has lived in a number of countries and this is her second time in Singapore. She discovered Friends of the Museums in 2001 when she joined the docent training for the National Museum and the smaller Armenian Street Asian Civilisations Museum. On her return to Singapore, Sian followed that up by training to guide at the Asian Civilisations Museum at Empress Place. She has been involved in Study and Research Groups and has been part of the training team for the ACM and a Co-Head of the Peranakan Museum Training, setting up the initial guiding and the new training course. Sian sat on the 2009 council as a Council Representative.

Lynn Biondi, Council Representative
Lynn is an American citizen who has lived in Singapore since 2008 and traveled extensively throughout Asia in a professional capacity since 1989. She holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Environmental and Mechanical Engineering (1978) and an MBA in Finance and Marketing (1983) from the University of Chicago, and worked professionally for thirty years in general business management, acquisitions and marketing and communications. Her work included an assignment in the United Kingdom working with businesses in the UK, Germany and the Netherlands. Lynn joined FOM when she arrived in Singapore, and has been on the research groups and an active FOM docent for three of the special exhibitions at the National Museum of Singapore this year. She is currently in docent training for the Asian Civilisations Museum, and is a member of PASSAGE magazine and the Welcoming teams.

Mary Friday Leadbetter, Council Representative
Mary F. Leadbetter is a native North Carolinian, USA. She graduated from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill where she earned a Bachelor's of Arts degree in History. Subsequently she graduated from Duke University Law School. For the next sixteen years her legal career as Assistant Counsel for I.M.S. International and General Counsel for adidas AG took her to legal outposts in New York, London, Herzogenaurach (Germany) and Amsterdam. Leaving legal practice, she began work on a diploma in Asian Art at the British Museum in 2003. Even before Mary and her husband Jon relocated to Singapore in 2004, she had heard about the Asian Civilisations Museum and the docent training programme. Mary guides at the ACM, has served on the FOM Council (twice), the ACM training team, the Special Exhibitions team and the Monday Morning Lecture committee. She has presented Monday Morning Lectures on Betel Nut, the Greek Masterpieces Exhibition and Indian Jewelry.

Ann Marie Regal, Council Representative
Ann Marie Regal moved with her family to Singapore in 2007. She holds a Bachelors of Science in Finance from Syracuse University and the Certified Financial Planner designation in America. Prior to moving to Singapore she worked at Goldman Sachs and Legg Mason Investment Counsel. Ann Marie is a Director for Balance Planning Pte Ltd, a consulting firm specializing in financial and event management for individuals and non-profit organizations. Prior to her financial career, she was in the fashion industry traveling extensively throughout Europe where she developed a passion for art and antiques. Ann Marie joined FOM in 2008, is a docent at NMS and a member of the NMS operations committee.

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