Board of Directors
David Dillon, Manzanita -
A retired Navy officer and former local newspaper editor, with degrees in broadcasting and business, David has dabbled with the arts since his earliest years – particularly music, photography and writing. Music lessons were followed by participation in school concert and marching bands from third grade through college. A still and motion picture aficionado, he got his first camera at age nine. Writing was essential to his career as a military public affairs officer, and he applied that talent to help start our local newspaper – The North Coast Citizen. David is a great fan of classical music – particularly Italian opera – and hopes the Hoffman Center can provide a venue for others to appreciate that art. He recognizes the value of exposure to and involvement with the arts to people of all ages – especially the young. David was a personal friend of the Hoffman Center’s namesakes – Lloyd and Myrtle Hoffman — and is married to a multi-talented artist.
Vera Wildauer, Manzanita – Wildauer spent 20 years in bank marketing, most recently as marketing director for a community bank in Everett, Washington. She has prior non-profit board experience, most notably for Bridgeways, a mental health agency, for nine years, with five years as board president and chair of the public relations committee. She is co-founder of the Manzanita Writers’ Series, a program of the Hoffman Center. Along with writing poetry and short stories, and reading at the Open Mic, she enjoys painting and photography. Wildauer moved to Manzanita full time in 2006, but has been coming here with her family regularly since 1975, all the while knowing that she would have to live here permanently someday.
Peggy Biskar, Manzanita – Peggy has spent a lifetime contemplating the importance of art in people’s lives. She started her art education career in the high school classroom and then worked as the Fine Art Specialist in the Multnomah County ESD Curriculum Department. She taught teacher in-service classes and developed art curriculum guides, lesson plans and artist-in-the-schools programs. Mid-life, Peggy went back to school at Pacific Northwest College of Art and majored in painting with a concentration in photography. Since then she has maintained a painting studio and for the past three years has been developing skills in jewelry making. She also worked at Oregon College of Art and Craft as an Admissions Officer and as the Circulation Supervisor in the Library at the College. She and her husband built a house in Manzanita in 1995 and after his death, she moved here in the spring of 2010. Peggy is particularly interested in helping the Hoffman Center further develop its adult art programs, including workshops, visiting artist talks, slide shows and demonstrations, and the establishment of a Hoffman Center gallery. She also has cataloged the books in the Hoffman Center library and will work toward making the materials available to the general public.
John Freethy, Nehalem – Growing up on the coast of Maine, John Freethy fell in love at an early age with art and music. Between his father’s career in the printing industry and his mother’s love of origami, it was only natural for him to become interested in paper arts. His father’s photography hobby also sparked an interest in John that he continues to pursue. John bought his first guitar at age 13. At 19, he went to work at a local guitar store. Within a few months he was teaching lessons and managing the place. This eventually turned into owning the business and teaching an average of 40 students per week. Art had to be put on the back burner at the time, but he still pursued his love of photography and block printing. In 2009, wanderlust set in. John closed up shop and made his way to the Oregon coast, where he was finally able put equal energy into art and music, while continuing to teach. The natural beauty of the area and the need to remain within minutes of the ocean brought him to Nehalem. John has also worked as a promotion manager, courier, furniture maker, and mass-mailing specialist. He currently works for Transdisciplinary Workshops, Inc., a small business dedicated to providing continuing education in the mental health and special education fields. John continues making handmade papers and books, and teaches those arts at the Hoffman Center and other venues. He is also writing his first solo album.
