Board of Directors
Our Board of directors is made up of volunteers from the community who utilize their various professional backgrounds, business connections, and personal skills to further the Sault Area Art Center's mission
Agatha Colbert,
Chair
A retired physician, Agatha has served as Chair of the Sault Area Arts Council (SAAC) since 2019. Born in Sault Ste Marie MI, summering in the Brimley area during her youth, and making it her permanent residence for the past 15 years, she continues to have a deep love of nature and the community in the Eastern Upper Peninsula. She has always valued creativity in herself and delights in seeing others discover their own creative processes. Her appreciation of the fine arts has been deeply influenced by Art Historian husband, Charles Colbert, PhD. Agatha’s personal passion now is to grow the Sault Area Art Center into a top-tier destination for arts in the EUP. Her goal is to provide a place where locals and tourists can gather to share ideas, create, exhibit, and sell their art.
Karen Justin,
Vice-Chair
Karen Justin is a human resources professional with the Sault Tribe of Chippewa Indians with a passion for learning and creating. She is an accomplished artist and lifelong advocate for creative exploration and has worked extensively across a wide range of artistic disciplines, including metalsmithing, bronze casting, spinning and weaving, two- and three-dimensional design, painting, watercolor, acrylics, and oils. As a new member of the SAAC Board of Directors, she looks forward to meeting local artists and community members.
Cathie Chenoweth,
Treasurer
Cathie Chenoweth lives in Pickford and holds a BS in Finance and Accounting from Central Michigan University. She recently retired after serving 20 years as CFO and co-founder of Old Mission Bank in Sault Ste. Marie, remaining as a Director. With 40 years of banking experience, including accounting, finance, tax, audit, internal controls, commercial lending, regulatory compliance, and staffing, Cathie contributes her background toward fiscal and organizational best practices. She has lifelong interests in the visual, performing, and culinary arts, and is a pianist, seamstress, and avid gardener.
Holly Morrison,
Secretary
Holly Morrison, a retired cardiac sonographer, was a former member of the Olive M. Gallery Board, prior to its dissolution, and served many years as its secretary. Holly was one of the five members who joined the SAAC Board in May of 2022. She was elected Secretary of the SAAC Board at that time and continues to serve in that capacity. While Holly is not an artist, she has always been a strong supporter of the arts. Her husband, Bill, who is now retired, was an art instructor for 40 years, teaching at all levels, and is an accomplished blacksmith. Holly appreciates the value of the arts within a community, especially its community-building aspects through the creativity and diversity found in the arts.
Robert Mucklebauer,
Board Member
Robert Muckelbauer is a long-standing member of the SAAC Board of Directors. Robert plays an essential role in supporting the organization’s mission to create a more artful life for all EUP residents. A resident of Sault Ste. Marie, he works to ensure SAAC remains a vibrant, welcoming space for local creators.
Tom Harrison,
Board Member
Tom Harrison is a distinguished artisan in the EUP, recognized for his mastery of traditional wood carving and acrylic painting. A dedicated member of the SAAC Board of Directors, Tom plays a vital role in preserving heritage crafts. He is especially celebrated for his hand-carved waterfowl and shorebird decoys, frequently sharing his expertise through immersive workshops and regional arts festivals.
Sara Maurer,
Board Member
Sara Maurer is the author of A Good Animal (St. Martin’s Press, 2026). A former banking analyst and technical writer, she served for 14 years as grant superintendent at the Chippewa County Fair, where she secured funding for numerous capital improvement projects. She holds a BA in English from Albion College and an MA in Written Communications from Eastern Michigan University. In her role as a SAAC board member, she is working to expand opportunities for creative expression throughout the EUP, especially in Sault Ste. Marie, where she lives.
Wilda Hopper,
Board Member
Wilda Hopper currently serves as Chair of the SAAC Special Events Committee. A newer member of the Board, she has been instrumental in bringing new revenue streams to SAAC through spearheading several special events that not only achieved the goal of fundraising but also brought about awareness and exposure of SAAC to the community. Wilda and her husband own two local downtown businesses, Bird's Eye Outfitters and Café and Bird's Eye Adventures. Bringing art to the downtown business district is a passion of Wilda's. She is also co-founder of the non-profit O.U.T. House Consortium (Outdoor Use of Trails), founded to develop, maintain, and promote hiking, biking, and water trails in our area. Wilda sits on the boards of O.U.T. House Consortium and the Chippewa County Community Foundation.
Ashley Vogel,
Board Member
Joining the SAAC Board in May of 2026, Ashley Vogel is a career administrative assistant who grew up an Army brat but lived her life in Sault Ste Marie. A love for artistic endeavors was passed down through her maternal grandmother, a budding fashion designer once upon a time, to her father an amateur carpenter to her brother who is equally talented in art, music and theatre. Such varied influences has made her a self described Jack of all trades but a master of none, though there is a particular love for Writing and Photography. While the family’s designated “art kid” Ashley’s love for rules, policies and over all structure is what she hopes to bring to the table to help the real artists shine. Ashley is a proud Sault Tribe member, devoted dog mom, who loves a good hike as much as curling up with a good book.
Raulaniesa Aranda
Executive Director
Raulaniesa Aranda assumed the role of SAAC’s Executive Director in 2025 in order to lead the organization’s mission of fostering community engagement through the arts. A longtime resident of the EUP, she brings over a decade of nonprofit leadership experience to the role. In addition to her administrative experience, she is a self-taught encaustic and mixed-media artist who specializes in painting with beeswax and fire—a process she describes as a meditative journey. Her leadership at SAAC focuses on expanding local cultural opportunities, supporting regional artists, and ensuring that the arts remain an accessible, healing, and transformative experience open to all members of the community.