Meet Our Staff
Deb Schaber joined the Armory Arts & Music Center in April 2026 as Executive Director, bringing more than 20 years of experience in large-scale event production, nonprofit leadership, and revenue-generating partnerships. She leads the organization’s operations and the redevelopment of the historic Duluth Armory into a vibrant arts and community hub, anticipated to open in 2027.
Prior to joining the Armory, Deb founded Schaber & Co., where she advised festivals, nonprofits, and corporate clients on event strategy, operations, and earned revenue models. Her work included partnerships with organizations such as Twin Cities Gus Macker, Viking Fest MN, the White Bear Area Food Shelf, and the Minnesota Festivals & Events Association.
Deb previously served as Director of Entertainment at Canterbury Park, where she led venue programming and event operations, launched the Canterbury Park Summer Concert Series, and managed large-scale events, driving significant growth in attendance and ticket revenue.
Earlier in her career, Deb was President & CEO of the Saint Paul Festival & Heritage Foundation, where she oversaw major civic events including the Saint Paul Winter Carnival and Cinco de Mayo. She helped lead the creation of the 2018 Winter Carnival Ice Palace during Super Bowl LII. She also spent more than a decade producing Renaissance Festivals and large-scale events across multiple markets, building deep expertise in operations, partnerships, and community-centered programming.
A graduate of the University of Minnesota Duluth, Deb is proud to return to Duluth and is passionate about creating a welcoming, accessible space where arts, culture, and community come together.
Deb Schaber
Executive Director
Michelle Miller
Interim Executive Director
Melissa Weisser
Program Manager
Jamie Harthan
Executive Assistant
Michelle has worked in the nonprofit sector for over 35 years. Her leadership positions have included Executive Director for the Two Harbors Area Food Shelf, Assistant Director for the Great River Arts Association in Little Falls, MN and Program Director with the Greater Minneapolis Girl Scout Council. Michelle is a freelance writer who enjoys being in the woods or by the water, exploring the beautiful Northshore.
Melissa has been a professional artist and amateur musician for most of her life. She has a degree in Communication Art and Design but alongside art, she has worked for many years in the service industry, as an interior designer, and has volunteered with many local organizations. She has a passion for growing awareness through creating effective designs and branding, and for planning community events. Managing the MRC and seeing the kids thrive is her favorite job of all.
Jamie has been involved in Nonprofits for over 13 years. She has a degree in nonprofit management, and also has a passion for being an advocate. She is on the Advisory Committee of Ombudsman for Mental Health and Developmental Disabilities for the state of Minnesota. When Jamie is not volunteering for organizations such as the Down Syndrome Association of MN, she enjoys making memories with her son, attending concerts and being a patron of the YMCA.
Music Resource Center (MRC)
Instructors/Mentors
Axel has a background in classical piano, music theory, guitar, bass, recording, and mixing. With experience in a few bands, and in studios, he's been involved in music his whole life. He loves listening to just about anything (New Wave, Motown, 60s/70s rock, grunge, etc). He teaches beginner to intermediate piano, guitar, and music theory.
Michael teaches improvisation on piano, and is also our trumpet instructor. Originally from Germany, he has 25 years of experience performing on stage across the USA. He's been teaching students of all ages for thirty years and enjoys Jazz, Blues, Rock and Roll, and more. He has a goal of learning to play and teach the ukulele, and hopes to see Bob Dylan play in the Armory when we open in 2027!
Shanna began playing drums in 1996 at age 16 and began giving private lessons two years ago. Influenced by her dad and sister playing drums and simply having access to a set, she began. Since then she’s played with lots of groups and people including The Keep Aways, Nordic Waste, The Undesirables, Moon Dogs and Neat Neat Neat. Shanna loves supporting others and feels honored to do so through volunteering at PAVSA and working at Essentia’s Center for Personal Fitness where she gets to teach fitness and yoga classes along with offering personal training. Shanna thinks the drums are super rad and that everybody should give them a try! She enjoys teaching drums with fun, spontaneity, inclusivity, and creativity as guiding lights.
Traxx joins the MRC as an instructor after years with the MRC as a student. You may have seen Traxx playing on stage, and we are so excited for him to mentor students in guitar, singing, putting together ensembles, and getting ready for gigs.
He is part of the band Born Too Late who performs regularly across the region as well as attending college and curating a weekly open mic night.