David Berkson

MS English
MS Theatre
HS Theatre

DAVID BERKSON has taught at Northwest Academy since 2004. He is the author of several plays, including The Penguins of Ithaca and War Paint: A Story of Family Life. David lived in the Bay Area for many years where he was Education Director of Marin Shakespeare Company, and Camp Director of Bay Area Shakespeare Camps. David’s professional acting credits include two stints with the national hit Shear Madness, Feste in Twelfth Night, and Jerry in Profile Theatre’s 2002 production of The Zoo Story. David has been with Northwest Academy since 2004.

dberkson@nwacademy.org

David Bliss

After Hours Technical Theatre
Makeup & Costuming

DAVID BLISS, M.A.T., B.S., C.P.S., has been a professional set designer, technical director, scenic artist, director and performer/singer for nearly 30 years. He holds degrees from Lewis & Clark College, Western Oregon State University and Certification from Marylhurst University. David enjoys photography, painting, travel, vocal recording and home remodeling. David has been with Northwest Academy since 2013.

dbliss@nwacademy.org

David Wagstaff

HS English/Humanities
MS Tai Chi

DAVID WAGSTAFF was educated at California Institute of the Arts, Chapman College, and California State College at Northridge. He has been an educator for thirty-five years and holds teaching credentials in both California and Oregon. He is also a writer, director, and performer with an extensive resume of work that includes directing some twenty-five plays and three films, in addition to spending a decade as a rock vocalist. Before becoming the Dean of Students at Northwest Academy, he taught English Humanities, Screenwriting, Project Theater, Project Studio, and Tai Chi. He directed three Esprit productions and is the founder and artistic director of Northwest Academy’s Angry Pigeon Gallery. David has been at Northwest Academy since 1999.

dwagstaff@nwacademy.org

Erin Shannon

MS Dance
HS Dance
HS Yoga/Fitness
HS Musical Theatre

ERIN SHANNON holds a B.F.A. in dance from Oklahoma City University and has been teaching theatre dance, tap, jazz, lyrical dance, and ballet for over 18 years. As a professional dancer, Erin has performed with Royal Caribbean Cruise Lines, Broadway Rose Theatre Company, Lakewood Theatre Company, Pixie Dust Productions, TriptheDark dance company and many others. Choreography credits include numerous productions with professional Portland theatre companies, high school, and college productions. Erin was featured on Oregon Art Beat for her choreography, and won the Portland Area Music Theatre Award for Best Choreography in 2009. She is a regular teaching artist with Staged! Conservatory and Spotlight Theatre Camps. Erin is also certified to teach Hatha yoga. In the spring, Erin directs Dynamo and Esprit as part of NWA’s Arts Week. She has been with Northwest Academy since 2009.

eshannon@nwacademy.org

Jada Pierce

English/Humanities Department Chair
HS English/Humanities
HS Liberal Arts

JADA PIERCE has taught secondary and collegiate levels for the past ten years. She taught in Baltimore, MD, for three years with Teach for America and completed coursework at Johns Hopkins to become certified in secondary education. She earned an M.F.A. in poetry at the University of Oregon, where she taught poetry and composition courses. She taught English and journalism at Jesuit High School. Jada has been with Northwest Academy since 2008.

jpierce@nwacademy.org

Kate Legere

MS Visual Art
MS Learning Lab

KATE LEGERE earned her B.F.A. from Alfred University in New York. While volunteering with the Peace Corps on a small island in the Republic of Kiribati in the Central Pacific, she fell in love with teaching and felt called to return to education. Kate later went on to study Art Education at the Moore College of Art. Her teaching career spanned Philadelphia to Brussels, where she taught at The International School of Belgium for five years, eventually choosing to relocate to Portland. Kate has been with Northwest Academy since 2016.

Lee Barbara

MS Guitar
HS Guitar

LEE JAMES BARBARA has been a professional multi-instrumentalist, studio guitarist, and music educator since he graduated with both a B.A. in Music: Jazz Guitar and a B.A. in Arts and Letters from Portland State University. As a performer, Lee has shared stages with many notable acts and has performed on recordings that have achieved international recognition, but still, he’s proudest of his work as an educator. Since he began teaching guitar, piano, and percussion from his private studio in 2009, he’s worked with students of every skill level to find their genuine musical voice. Lee is honored to be a member of the thriving arts department at Northwest Academy. Lee joined the school in 2016.

lbarbara@nwacademy.org

Mark Lighthiser

HS Instrumental Music
MS Instrumental Music

MARK LIGHTHISER

mlighthiser@nwacademy.org

Nathan Lucas

HS and MS Digital Media

NATHAN LUCAS has a B.F.A. in fine arts and an M.F.A. in visual design and interactive design. He brings a rich background in art and aesthetics to his multimedia work. He was a multimedia artist and media coordinator for ImageBuilder Software and has extensive background in photographic processing. He has taught photography and computer art at the high school and college level. Nathan has been with Northwest Academy since 2001.

nlucas@nwacademy.org

Paul Martone

HS English/Humanities
HS Liberal Arts

PAUL MARTONE is a published writer with an M.F.A. in creative writing from the University of Oregon, an M.A. in English from the State University of New York (SUNY) Albany, and a B.A. in English from the SUNY Buffalo. He was awarded the Walter and Nancy Kidd Fellowship from the University of Oregon, a position offered to one Graduate Teaching Fellow each year. At Oregon State University, Paul taught a variety of undergraduate courses. He joined Northwest Academy in 2008 and spearheaded the school’s Challenge Program, which allows juniors and seniors to earn 200-level college credits in English and writing at Portland State University. Paul has been with Northwest Academy since 2008.

pmartone@nwacademy.org

Sean Cain

Visual Art Department Chair
HS and MS Visual Art

SEAN CAIN is one of Portland’s premier artists. Educated at The School of the Art Institute of Chicago and the Pacific Northwest College of Art, he has shown his artwork regionally since 1994 and is currently represented by the Laura Russo Gallery. His work has been reviewed in such publications as Artweek, New American Paintings, Reflex Magazine, The Oregonian, and Willamette Week. His work is in the collections of some of Portland’s leading art connoisseurs. A prolific painter, Sean is passionate about sharing his skills and knowledge with students. Sean has been with Northwest Academy since 2001.

scain@nwacademy.org

Wade Willis

Arts Coordinator
HS Vocal Music
HS Theatre
Project Theatre

WADE WILLIS has been a professional actor, singer, director, and educator for over 25 years. He has an M.A. in teaching from Pacific University and a B.S. in music from University of Oregon.  The city of Beaverton honored Wade with two awards: the Outstanding Educator in the Arts Award and the Individual Diversity Award. Wade received a Drammy Award and an OTAS Award for Best Direction for Into the Woods. Wade has been with Northwest Academy since 2010.

wwillis@nwacademy.org