James R. Hoy

Jim, a USAF brat, began playing acoustic guitar at age 12, a hobby that served him well enough through the years. But it wasn’t until he retired from the Army that he had the time to explore more advanced chords, basic music theory, and perform with others. He worked with 50+ guitar students over the past eight years as a volunteer instructor teaching fundamental skills. With Hero’s Encore, he now serves as the Director of Operations, responsible for organizing music instruction, interfacing with prospective students, coordinating the efforts of volunteer instructors, and maintaining practice equipment.

Jim’s past professional experiences left him ideally suited to interact with our veteran students. Commissioned as a Field Artillery Officer, he served twenty-six years on Active Duty, primarily with combat arms units. He commanded numerous times, including; a Pershing Missile platoon, a 155mm firing battery, a Brigade HQ Battery, a Paladin Artillery Battalion, and a stint as the HQ Commandant of USCENTCOM during the build up and commencement of Operation Iraqi Freedom. Nearly 50% of his service was overseas, with assignments and operations that took him from Germany (nine years), Kosovo, and Hungary to the deserts of Qatar and Iraq. He is a graduate of the University of Utah, the Command and General Staff College, and the Army War College.

More recently, his efforts have included outreach to veterans at homeless service centers, mental health treatment facilities, and satellite locales outside the Omaha metro. Jim also volunteers at local retirement homes, providing live entertainment to their residents. Still his primary interest remains introducing veterans to the joy of playing acoustic guitar and watching their growth as budding musicians. He feels it is where he is best suited and most impactful, working one-on-one with veterans to imbue them with the skills to create music they enjoy.