About Us

joined the KAAHC Board in 2013

Victoria Lord discovered her love of the arts early in life while attending Saturday morning classes at the Pasadena Art Museum (now the Norton Simon Museum) – a creative place of free expression, dance, painting and theatrics. That early experience with the arts has influenced her throughout her life and helped to define her career choices and lifelong learning experiences. Victoria brings to the KAAHC board a great deal of knowledge of nonprofit management, philanthropy and program development. Her work experience includes arts and culture program staff with Rasmuson Foundation (2004-2010), Ketchikan Museums senior curator of programs (1997 – 2004), and executive director of the Ketchikan Area Arts and Humanities Council (1986 – 1997). She currently works with various fine art galleries in Ketchikan and is enjoying being surrounded by art and artists everyday. Victoria is an active member of the Ketchikan community as a participant in many nonprofit advisory committees and fundraising activities.

Rain or shine, you may find Victoria wandering the beach in front of her home with her dog Poppy, especially at low tide.

joined January, 2025

Lisa Pearson is the Head of Adult Services at the Ketchikan Public Library, where she has worked for 26 years. As a librarian, she values the importance of welcoming and respecting all facets of the community and she is grateful for the wide range of artistic opportunities available to people in the Ketchikan area. Although she has been a frequent contributing artist and model for the Wearable Arts Show, she sees herself mainly as the beneficiary of the artistic endeavor of others and would like to use her tenure on the board to support their efforts.

Lisa served on the Holy Name School Auction committee for six years, including 2 years as the committee Chair. She served on the Holy Name Parental Advisory Board for 5 years, including 3 years as President, and has worked closely as a staff liaison with the Friends of the Library. She plans to use her organizational relationships, policy development and communications skills as assets for the KAAHC Board.

Joined KAAHC in 2024

Sean Heismann is originally from Cincinnati, Ohio. In high school he did all the things: football, wrestling, track, swimming, drama, and lots of music. He got his start on the piano studying at the Cincinnati Conservatory of Music Preparatory program before moving on to the Toedtman School of Music. He also studied the cello, playing in the Cincinnati Junior Strings, Blue Ash Youth Symphony, and Cincinnati Youth Symphony Orchestra. In college, Sean was initially interested in piano performance and molecular biology, but quickly realized that philosophy was a much more lucrative career path. He received his BA in philosophy from Xavier University, an MA in philosophy from Loyola Marymount University in Los Angeles, CA, and pursued a PhD in philosophy from State University of New York-University at Albany, where he specialized in morals and ethics, political philosophy, and bioethics. His dissertation about the use of hypothetical initial choice situations as heuristics for principled decision procedures under epistemic uncertainty, particularly as applied to emerging technologies such as CRISPR and AI, is dull and unread.

After realizing that philosophy was not going to pay the bills, he joined the United States Army, and was deployed in support of Operation Enduring Freedom, where he got to see all the lovely spots the US military had to offer, such as Kuwait, Qatar, Afghanistan, and Ft. Dix, NJ. He’s still recovering from his time at Ft. Dix.

Sean and his partner, Dr. Nicole Morin, moved to Ketchikan in November, 2016, where Sean was going to semi-retire. Instead, he started Bawden Street Brewing Co., and began playing the cello again. Sean is currently owned and operated by daughter Saoirse and son Tadgh.

joined KAAHC Board of Directors in 2012

Participation in the arts is an everyday experience for me and I believe it is for most of our residents …they just don’t realize it yet. Living in Ketchikan has afforded me the chance to expand my art skills and pass them on to many. By day, I am an insurance agent at Davies-Barry Insurance. The rest of the time, I enjoy volunteering among a lot of other things. My art is found in beading. I love those little pieces of glass that have glorious colors, have a wonderful tactile sensation, and can be constructed into little creations.

As a pretty well seasoned non-profit board member, I try to give back to my community in areas where I can help make life a little better for someone else. KAAHC is a perfect fit for me. My stance on the arts is that this community is rich with a wide variety of excellent art venues. Look around and you see, hear and feel it everywhere. As a community we should be proud and do what we can to promote everything that the arts can do for us. Sharing and incorporating art experiences in economic development and daily lives should be a top priority of us all.

Nina Talawva Hopps was an AmeriCorp volunteer in college and has been an active part of her community ever since. She worked for the Hawaiian Humane Society advocacy and outreach for the community and for legislative issues. She also worked at the Hawaiian State Legislature for 2 years, with nonprofits in her position at the Public Access Room, assisting with legislative issues. Here in Ketchikan Nina has been on the Library Advisory Board for 4 years, and is currently their representative to the public.

Nina is a committee member of the Ketchikan Area Arts and Humanities Council's Youth Wearable Art Show and helped to bring it to fruition in in 2022 and has been helping to grow and enrich the program ever since.

Please stay tuned for a more in-depth bio from Nina - and a picture!

joined KAAHC in 2024

I’m Bernice Metcalf. I was born in Ketchikan and have lived the majority of my life here. I have been a member of the Program Development Committee for KAAHC for a few years and recently moved into a seat on the Board, as well. I am a Past Exalted Ruler of the Ketchikan Elks Lodge and am the current Grants Coordinator for the Lodge. I sit on the Ketchikan Nonprofit Collaborative on behalf of Southeast Senior Services. I previously sat on the Homehealth Board.

Artists run rampant in my family and it’s natural for me to be a part of helping to create it. Being involved with KAAHC has been a wonderful opportunity for me to help my community stay artistic.

joined 2019

Markel Wallace, born in Ketchikan and raised in Saxman, Alaska, is an emerging young leader in the Ketchikan area. Markel experienced an early exposure to the arts at a young age with many days spent at the Edwin C. DeWitt Carving Center in Saxman. She offers hours of time in support of the arts in the Ketchikan Area Arts and Humanities Council with volunteerism cheer. Markel proudly adds an Alaska Native and American Indian heritage + background to the collective since 2019. Volunteerism occurs for Markel within other areas throughout the greater community. Ms. Wallace's interest for all to experience and create the arts aligns with the organization's aim. She appreciates even the art of preparing a good cup of joe to spark an artistic flow. Markel resides in Saxman.