The Hood River County Education Foundation is led by a 21-member volunteer Board of Directors. Board members give money and time to the Foundation, organize and work fundraising events, and spend hundreds of hours collectively to score scholarships and teaching grant applications.
Aspen McKenna
President
Aspen joined the HRCEF board about when her daughter entered elementary school, and she brought her passion for volunteering in the classroom to the boardroom by becoming chair of the Impact Teaching Grants committee. She now serves as President of the Board. When not volunteering for the HRCEF, you can find Aspen on the river, the mountain or the tennis court.
Karen Heinemann
Vice President
Chair of Impact Teaching Grants Committee
Mo Wright
Secretary
Mo is a career educator and understands how education changes lives and communities. She has recently joined the board, having moved permanently to Hood River in 2023, where she is close to family and friends.
Matthew Roth
Treasurer
Chair of Finance Committee
Matthew joined the board in 2024, bringing a passion for capacity building and the long-term growth of the organization. He is an advocate for public education, and has set up a scholarship with his wife to support students who have committed themselves to community service. He has two children in the Hood River County School District and wants to see every student have the chance to achieve their potential through access to educational resources.
Chip Dickenson
Chair of Opportunity Fund Committee
Pat Evenson-Brady
John Fine
Chair of the Technology Committee
John is a long-time board member and technology advisor who manages the foundation’s technical infrastructure and integrations. When he’s not helping HRCEF support the District’s students and teachers, he’s enjoying many of the lovely Columbia River Gorge activities, like foiling, climbing, and biking.
Jacky Garcia
Dan Goldman
Dan serves the educational communities across Clatsop, Columbia, Tillamook and, Washington counties in Northwest Oregon as the Superintendent of the Northwest Regional Education Service District (NWRESD). Before joining NWRESD in July 2019, he was the Superintendent of the Hood River County School District, leading significant improvements in student achievement, educational equity, fiscal performance, and community engagement.
Kristi Heck
Kristi joined the board in 2023. Motivated by a deep appreciation of public education in Hood River county, Kristi wanted to help HRCEF reach more — more students with educational opportunities, more families with support, and more county residents for the chance to contribute towards our vision of fostering a community that deeply values education. Kristi brings 30 years of creative thinking, graphic design, and writing experience to the table.
Sue Hukari
Caroline Lipps
Caroline joined the Hood River County Education Foundation board in 2017 to represent the Cascade Locks community and strengthen the connection between local families and HRCSD schools. As a proud supporter of public education and a mom of three, she is deeply committed to ensuring that all children in our county have access to excellent learning opportunities.
Luke McCarthy
Barry Paul
Born in Ireland, Barry moved to the US in his 20’s eventually settling in the Gorge. His passions for technology and education led him to spending 10+ years helping build a world class robotics program in the Hood River County School District. After a career working in high tech startups he brings his deep technical knowledge to the HRCEF board. As a member of the technical team, he is excited to support HRCEF’s mission and the district’s students and teachers through the application of technology.
Mike Schend
Chair of Fundraising and Marketing Committees
As the longest-serving board member, starting in 1992, Mike’s commitment to supporting education has only grown over the years. He spent 30 years of his career working in the Hood River County School District, which makes his understanding of the education system important as a board member. His focus is on making the community a better place, and there is no better organization for this than the Hood River County Education Foundation.
Fred Trujillo
Co-Chair of Scholarship Committee
Fred has been part of the board for the past several years and highly values the work he has been a part of. He has taught ELD and Spanish at the secondary level since 1990 and coached multiple sports. After teaching in The Dalles, Portland, and Woodburn, he returned to Hood River in 1999 and currently teaches at the high school he graduated from in 1985.
Jan Veldhuisen Virk
Co-Chair of Scholarship Committee
Chrissy Reitz
HRCSD Board Liaison
Chrissy started serving as the Hood River County School Board Liaison to the HRCEF in 2015. Besides this role for the district, she is active on the Fundraising, Marketing, and Opportunity Fund committees. She advocates for strong relationships between public education and community partners as part of a thriving community.
Bill Newton
Ex Officio