Mayor – Paul Blackburn
Bio: Mayor Blackburn has lived in Hood River since 2000. Since his job as at-home Dad for the daughters “sunsetted,” he drives medical transport for Klickitat Senior Services. When not in meetings or a wheelchair van, he can often be found enjoying our spectacular Gorge or behind his banjo.
Blackburn is familiar with City of Hood River government. He originally joined Council in 2004 with an appointment to fill Paul Thompson’s position. He was later elected to this position in 2004, resigning this term at the end of 2008. He was later elected Mayor in November 2014 and relected. He resigned as mayor in August 2019, when his family moved from the community for two years. He was elected again in November 2022 and began his current tenure on January 1, 2023.
Term Expires: December 31, 2026
Message Line: (541) 436-0654
p.blackburn@cityofhoodriver.gov
Council President – Gladys Rivera
Bio: Hola! Mi nombre es Gladys Rivera. I was fortunate enough to be born and raised in Hood River.
I serve as a board member of Gorge Grown Food Network, a council member of United Way of the Columbia Gorge, an emergency preparedness manager for Hood River County, a member of Latinos en Acción and created the first bilingual CPR/BLS Program. I’ve also served in Guatemala, Mexico, and responded to the humanitarian crisis at the U.S/ Mexico border.
I work at One Community Health as a Preventative Health Manger, supporting vulnerable community members who face injustices, focusing on addressing all Social Determinants of Health. It is because of my experience in healthcare that I have a passion for policy. I love the outdoors and all the activities the beautiful Columbia Gorge has to offer.
I hope my presence on Council will continue to bring Latinx leaders with diverse backgrounds forward. We must diversify all decision making boards in order to have equitable access.
Term Expires: December 31, 2028
Message Line: (541) 436-0654
g.rivera@cityofhoodriver.gov
Council Member – Grant Polson
Bio: I moved to Hood River in 2009, and shortly after Hood River became home for me. I own the Westcliff Lodge, a small family-run business here in town. Over the last several years I have also served on our local Chamber of Commerce board, the City Budget Committee, and organize the local 4th of July run. For fun I’m often outdoors running “absurd” distances at a trail ultramarathon.
I am always willing to listen to an idea on how we keep creating a better Hood River; please do get in touch if there is anything on your mind.
Term Expires: December 31, 2026
Message Line: (541) 436-0654
g.polson@cityofhoodriver.gov
Council Member – Douglas Stepina
Bio: My wife Angela and I moved to Hood River from Portland in September of 2014 with our one-year-old daughter. We were both born and raised in Illinois. Our son was born in Hood River in 2018. We spent a couple of years away from Hood River to work and live abroad in the Netherlands from 2019-2021.
My career is in presales solution consulting (which is a remote/work-from-home career) while Angela has worked for various local businesses over the years. I also am very active in the local music community as a member of Antonyms and The Greenneck Daredevils.
Hood River is a special place for many reasons, but while away, we missed our diverse and eclectic community most of all. Since we arrived in 2014, we have seen many members of the community struggle to obtain affordable housing or be forced to leave. It was because of this issue that I became engaged in community advocacy in 2016 during the Short-Term Rental regulation debate in the City. At this time, I joined Livable Hood River and ultimately was elected to the board of directors. Throughout this legislative process, I grew to deeply respect the Hood River City Council and ultimately began to volunteer for City advisory committees. I served on the Short-Term Rental Advisory Committee and the Children’s Park Committee. I was appointed to the City Planning Commission in 2021 and served until I was elected to City Council.
Though my main area of focus has been community advocacy for access to affordable housing, I also greatly value the other goals outlined by the City Council: an Equitable and Inclusive/Informed Community, an Efficient and Safe Transportation System, a Well Maintained Community, an Environmentally Sustainable and Resilient Community and Adequate Parks and Open Space. There has been continuity in the yearly work plans over the past few years and these goals will continue in 2023.
My educational background is in Political Science and I hold a B.A. from Roosevelt University, so I have developed a deep sense of civic duty. My goal as a City Councilor is to ensure that we have more members of our community actively participating in the public process at the end of my first term than we did at the beginning of my first term. I know that my fellow Councilors agree that we can accomplish so much in local government if we are able to work together efficiently and effectively with the community. I will always make myself available for a conversation over a coffee or a beer and am committed to being an active listener.
Term Expires: December 31, 2026
Message Line: (541) 436-0654
d.stepina@cityofhoodriver.gov
Council Member – Ben Mitchell
Bio: I have lived in Hood River for just about all of my adult life, moving here in 2010 at the age of 23 for an AmeriCorps term of service in the aftermath of the Great Recession. I’ve lived in small towns my entire life, with Hood River being the largest. I grew up in Skaneateles, NY, which is located in the Finger Lakes region of Upstate NY and has some key parallels to Hood River: a small, beautiful town with a strong ag background that is grappling with the issues that increased tourism has caused.
Though I wound up in Hood River by chance, I quickly grew to love the community. I worked as a journalist for local newspapers for several years and learned more about the community and the issues it faced, as well as made many connections and friends. I met my partner here, Jennifer Pauletto, who is the executive director of WAGAP, a social services agency located in Bingen. After working for local newspapers, I went back to school to get my master’s degree, and produced a documentary about recreation issues in the Gorge as my final project. Since 2019, I have worked in the marketing department at Mt. Hood Meadows, doing email marketing, social media/website content management, blogs and press releases, and photo and video work. In 2022, I joined the City of Hood River Planning Commission and in 2024, was appointed to the Hood River City Council.
Hood River is a special community, as evidenced by its desirability as a place to live. However, I am greatly concerned that Hood River is turning into a city that is solely a playground for the wealthy, as working and middle class families are continually priced out of the community, that children born and raised here won’t be able to return if they so desire due to the lack of affordable housing options, and that businesses and economic growth will falter as workers can’t afford to live here. I want to help make Hood River a more affordable and livable place for everyone and look forward to working with the community to hopefully make that a reality.
Term Expires: December 31, 2026
Message Line: (541) 436-0654
b.mitchell@cityofhoodriver.gov
Council Member – Anna Cavaleri
Bio: I want to thank you for the privilege of serving as your elected City Councilor. I am grateful to have had an opportunity to serve 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, the business owners and workers 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 with your thoughts and concerns.
As a resident and as new City 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, land use and development code review, to name just a few. Progress and success require persistent communication , collaboration and compromise with our neighbors and other governments and organizations, including the County, School District, Parks & Rec, the Port, the Library District, and others. I look forward to working with the other council members, staff and all of you to find creative, pragmatic solutions.
I was inspired to relocate from Denver to Hood River 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. I think about reading books for fun, but I would rather go on walks with my friends because they are far more entertaining!
Term Expires: December 31, 2028
Message Line: Not yet set up
a.cavaleri@cityofhoodriver.gov
Council Member – Amanda Goeke
Bio: Hi! I’m Amanda. I was born and raised in Indiana, spent a few years in Florida after college, and have lived in Hood River since 2008. I have a Masters Degree in Library Science and have worked at the Hood River Libraries off and on since living here. I love and value libraries so much, I just can’t not be a part of them. I was also 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 Urban Renewal District that was formed up here shortly after we opened, 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 (soon to be middle) school aged boys who are some of my favorite humans. I love to get outside. I enjoy all of the ecosystems, and love that there are so many in close proximity to us, but among the old growth trees and huge ferns is where I feel most at home. I enjoy moving my body to live music and I’ve dabbled in photography for as long as I can remember. I’m looking forward to serving on city council and doing what I can to foster a community where we can all, not only live, but thrive. I’d love to hear from you, so please don’t hesitate to contact me if there is something you’d like to talk about.
Term Expires: December 31, 2028
Message Line: Not yet set up
a.goeke@cityofhoodriver.gov