Meet the newest Hood River City Council Members
Hood River City Council consists of six Councilors and one Mayor. Every two years, three council seats and the mayoral seat are up for election. During the November 2024 election, Mayor Paul Blackburn and City Councilor Gladys Rivera were both re-elected to the council. The City also welcomes two new councilors, Amanda Goeke and Anna Cavaleri. Additionally, Councilors Grant Polson, Doug Stepina, and Ben Mitchell will remain on the council with terms expiring at the end of 2026.
The City also thanks outgoing Councilors Megan Saunders and Mark Zanmiller for their years of service, who have both served multiple terms on council and choose not to run again.
Statements from the newest council members are below, and you can get to know all of your council members at: cityofhoodriver.gov/administration/city-council/meet-the-hood-river-city-council.
Anna Cavaleri
I want to thank you for the privilege of serving as your elected City Councilor. I previously served on our Hood River Valley Parks & Recreation District Board from 2017-2024. As a City Councilor, my priority will continue to be to represent you – residents of all generations and ages of Hood River. I believe that diversity of cultures, backgrounds, values and ideas is key to a vibrant community, and I invite you to contact me.
As a resident and new Councilor, I recognize that there are many complex issues that the City is managing: affordable housing, sustainable growth, public safety, safe bike and pedestrian routes and public transport, and land use to name just a few. Progress and success require persistent communication, collaboration and compromise. I look forward to working with the other councilors, staff and all of you to find creative, pragmatic solutions.
I relocated from Denver with my husband and daughter nearly a decade ago. Like so many of our neighbors, we were drawn to Hood River by the natural beauty of the Gorge, the proximity to a variety of outdoor recreation opportunities, and the quality of life of an idyllic small town. I earned an undergraduate degree in business and went to law school in Denver, which is where most of my big, Italian family is still headquartered. I love my day job as a lawyer at a local general practice law firm where I specialize in business and real estate matters. I am a terrible gardener, but love spending summer evenings in my yard with my family and our two ridiculous dogs.
Amanda Goeke
Hi! I’m Amanda. I was born and raised in Indiana, spent a few years in Florida, and have lived in Hood River since 2008. I have a master’s degree in library science and have worked at the Hood River libraries off and on since living here, as well as served on the Library Foundation Board for 13 years. In 2010, I opened Volcanic Bottle Shoppe in the Heights. It has been a wild ride being a small business owner these past 14 years. One of the things I love most about Volcanic is that it is a local, community-centered spot. I have come to know so many people in the community through it, and a truly special micro-community has formed there.
As a business owner in the Heights, I became very interested in the Heights Urban Renewal District, which led me to applying for a position on the Urban Renewal Advisory Committee. I have been serving on that committee since 2019. It was very exciting to be a part of that committee during the design phase of the Heights Streetscape project and I look forward to seeing it come to fruition in the coming years.
I have two elementary school-aged boys who are some of my favorite humans. I love to get outside and enjoy all of the regional ecosystems, but among the old- growth trees and huge ferns is where I feel most at home. I’m looking forward to serving on City Council and doing what I can to foster a community where we can all thrive. I’d love to hear from you, so please don’t hesitate to contact me.
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