A central Pennsylvania native and graduate of Cumberland Valley High School, Sam went on to earn a B.S. in Finance from Penn State University. What started as a one-year adventure in Brooklyn with theater friends turned into a 15-year odyssey in New York City, where Sam began his career in nonprofit theater—specializing in marketing, fundraising, and audience development.

Sam later transitioned to the private sector as Marketing Director for a graphic recording firm, bringing art and visual storytelling into corporate environments.

Now back in Camp Hill, Sam is thrilled to return to the nonprofit arts community. He brings a passion for data, storytelling, and community engagement—along with a deeply felt, firsthand understanding of the arts’ transformative impact on people of all ages.

Outside of work, Sam is a cinephile, home chef, and visual artist working in oil, gouache, ink, and graphite. He enjoys life in central PA with his wife and daughter.

Ariana Koch joined the PCCA team in August 2022.  A native of south-central Pennsylvania, Ariana grew up with a paint brush in one hand and a pencil in the other.  She holds her Associate in Fine Art from Harrisburg Area Community college, 2019, and her Bachelor in Fine Art with a concentration in ceramics from Alfred University, 2021.  Most recently, she finished a two-month long studio assistantship at Penland School of Craft in North Carolina, and is gearing up to teach clay classes at the Carlisle Arts Learning Center, in Carlisle, PA .

Interested in working with her hands from a young age, Ariana found clay during her 2^nd semester at community college and has never looked back.  Primarily working within the realm of functional ceramics, she focuses on vessels for your home, table, and daily life.  It is the connection to family, community, nature, as well as the lineage of craft that informs the direction of her work.  Moving forward, Ariana says she is most excited for the opportunity to work with PCCA and share her knowledge as well as love of art with the Perry County community and its neighbors.

Joanna joined the Perry County Council of the Arts as the Administrative Assistant in February 2025. Before this role, she spent many years in management with a large grocery retailer across Central Pennsylvania. Joanna transitioned from her corporate career to follow her passion for floral design. As the owner and operator of The Best In Bloom Flowers, she creates beautiful arrangements for special events, memorial tributes, and weddings. She finds joy in sharing her art with clients, whether celebrating new beginnings or honoring loved ones.

Joanna resides in Western Perry County with her husband and two children. A graduate of Greenwood High School in Millerstown, she has lived in Perry County her entire life and considers it the most beautiful county. In her free time, she enjoys road trips with her family, gardening, and spending time outdoors in nature.

Eve joined the Perry County Council of the Arts as the Gallery and Exhibitions Manager in May of 2025. Eve grew up in Enola, PA, finding herself drawn to the arts in whatever form she could get her hands on. From reading and writing to painting and sculpting, Eve has embraced her love for the arts, graduating with her BA in Art from University of California- Santa Cruz in 2024. Eve can be found sketching or painting whenever she has a free moment, bringing the beauty and complexity of the world she sees out in her works.

Eve has spent most of her life working with acrylic paint but has started delving into oils since she took a class on Oil Painting Techniques in her final year of college. Along with those, Eve has honed her skills in metal and woodwork, combining the two sculpture forms into abstract and meaningful pieces. Eve has spent the last few years interning at different Art Institutions, such as the UCSC Art Department and the Ned Smith Center, allowing her insight into working with art and artists more closely.

Eve is excited to connect with the Perry County community and to continue bringing forward the voices and talents of local artists. She invites you to stop by PCCA Gallery in Newport at 1 S 2nd Street to visit and see our amazing artists’ works.