Staff
Cindy Thieman
Executive Director
Cindy has worked for watershed councils for over 20 years, implementing small and large-scale habitat restoration projects, running watershed monitoring programs, and more recently leading the Hood River Watershed Group. She holds a Masters in Biology from the University of Oregon, with a secondary Masters in Community and Regional Planning. While at the University she was a graduate teaching fellow for limnology, fresh water biology, and plant physiology courses. When she’s not working, she spends her time gardening, hiking, and playing with her husband and two kids.
Alix Danielsen
Restoration & Outreach Project Manager
Alix Danielsen has worked in the environmental field for over 15 years, including stints in agricultural conservation management, environmental social marketing, non-profit management, and river restoration. Alix has a BA from Princeton University and a Masters in Environmental Management from Portland State University. Alix feels very fortunate to live and play in the Hood River Watershed.
Bernadette Dangelo
Watershed Technician
Bernadette has been working in the environmental field for over six years. Before joining the Watershed Group she worked for the City of Portland’s Bureau of Environmental Services, where she managed the Columbia Slough Sediment Sampling Project and co-led the Columbia Slough Stormwater Sampling Project. She also collected data for the Portland Area Watershed Monitoring Assessment Program, collected flow data in the city’s storm and sewer system, and monitored the effectiveness of stream, floodplain, and riparian restoration projects. Bernadette has a Bachelor’s Degree in Physics and Education from the State University of New York at Oneonta and a Graduate Certificate of Hydrology from Portland State University.
Board of Directors
The Hood River Watershed Group’s Board of Directors is the governing body responsible for managing the affairs and activities of the organization; establishing and overseeing the overall policies and activities of the organization; overseeing the organization’s executive director, financial activities, and general financial health; and providing the structure that allows the organization to achieve its vision and long-term goals in furtherance of its public benefit mission.
In accordance with ORS 541.910(2), the Watershed Group strives to develop and maintain a board whose members reflect a range of geographic areas within the Watershed Group’s service area, as well as a diversity of community interests, including but not limited to:
Natural resource management (fisheries, forestry, wildlife, conservation)
Agriculture
Tribes
Irrigation water management and conveyance
Business and industry
Recreation
Urban and rural residency
Chuck Gehling
Board Chair
Chuck feels fortunate to have lived in the Hood River Valley for nearly 50 years. He has a degree in Sociology from the University of Cincinnati. Early in life he had a variety of jobs including: busboy, janitor, house painter, natural food store manager, and vegetable juice maker. He has worked for local social service providers with at risk youth and people with developmental disabilities. Later he was able to work with the Confederated Tribes of Warm Springs as a fisheries technician in the Hood River Production Program until he retired in 2017. Chuck has volunteered with the Hood River Soil and Water Conservation District as a director or associate director for 30 years. He has been involved in the Hood River Watershed Group since its beginning and has served as its chairperson for almost the entire time. He enjoys cooking, gardening, fishing, hiking, mushroom hunting, and trail building.
Greg Short
Board Vice President
Born and raised in the Hood River Valley, Greg spent his youth hunting, fishing, riding motorcycles, and playing along all the “cricks” running through the Hood River Watershed. He became addicted early on to Summer Steelhead fishing and would become a local legend in the Lore of Hood River Steelhead Angling History. Greg attended Oregon State University and received his Bachelor’s Degree in Fisheries Science, with high scholarship. Greg worked in the fish and wildlife research and management field at a number of agencies for roughly 12 years, before switching over to Ag/Industrial Mechanics for the last ~25 years. Greg currently works for Hood River Cherry Company. Greg is an avid hunter, sport fisherman, and conservationist, and is a Life member of the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation, and a supporting member of Ducks Unlimited, the Oregon Hunters Association, and the Coastal Conservation Association. Greg was a founding member of the Hood River Watershed Group in 1995 and has attended most of the meetings since that time. Greg became a Board Member of the Watershed Group when the organization became a 501(c3) nonprofit in 2023, and currently serves as Vice President. He looks forward to a full slate of Fish Habitat Improvement Projects being implemented and the project planning, fundraising, and educational meetings and presentations long into the future.
Jackie Markin
Board Secretary
Jackie Markin spent her career working in media — first as a broadcast news producer, then as a technology news and video producer. After retiring, Jackie began using her media skills to help nonprofits get the word out. She believes in giving back to the community and has volunteered with a wide range of nonprofits including Friends of the Cascade-Siskiyou National Monument, Vision Quilt, Riding Beyond, and Rogue Food Unites. Jackie is a certified OSU Master Naturalist and she has done field work in both the Columbia Gorge and the Klamath-Siskiyou regions. In her free time, Jackie spends time hiking, snowshoeing, gardening, cooking, reading, and hanging out with her husband and dog.
Sam Doak
Board Treasurer
Sam has a degree in Forestry from North Carolina State University and a Master’s in Wildland Resource Science from U.C. Berkeley. He has experience as a forester and natural resource policy analyst working in both private business and the non-profit sector. He has mapped forest vegetation and land use at large landscape levels, analyzed the effectiveness of land use policies, developed spatial databases for watershed analysis, assessed socioeconomic effects of forest management options on resource-dependent communities, created and administered forest harvest plans and inventories, and collaborated with multinational companies on strategies for environmentally responsible purchasing of wood and paper products. He enjoys hiking with his dogs and exploring the Hood River Watershed, which he has called home for the past ten years.
Lilian Dick
Lilian has worked for the Hood River Fisheries Program with the Confederated Tribes of the Warm Springs since 1994, and has worked with the Watershed Group frequently over the many years with the Tribes. Lil is a fisherman and knows the Hood River Watershed like the back of her hand. Lil is happy to be a part of the Watershed Group and to work toward a better Hood River and community.
Steve Pappas
Steve Pappas is the District Manager for East Fork Irrigation District. Steve holds a Bachelor of Science degree from the University of Portland. After spending five years as a paramedic and a nurse, he shifted gears to work in the oil and gas industry, constructing pipeline and other projects, for nearly two decades. This has served him well in managing large-scale piping projects for EFID. Born and raised in John Day, OR, Steve’s personal life reflects his love for the outdoors. He finds solace and joy in spending time in nature, whether it be hiking through the scenic landscapes of Oregon or engaging in outdoor activities with family and friends. This connection to nature not only influences his personal life but also informs his professional commitment to sustainable water management.
Alexis Vaivoda
Alexis is a fish biologist and has worked in the field of habitat restoration, research, fish screening, permitting, and irrigation modernization, and is now the District Manager at Farmers Irrigation District. Alexis currently serves on the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife’s Fish Screen Task Force in addition to the Hood River Watershed Group board. In her free time Alexis enjoys being outside as much as possible.
Hilary Doulos
Hilary has worked for the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife for over 10 years in various roles, conducting fisheries research on the Hood River, serving as the fish screens and passage coordinator for northwest Oregon, and currently as a Conservation Liaison, acting as a partner biologist with the Natural Resources Conservation Service for Wasco, Hood River, and Sherman counties. Before joining ODFW, she conducted limnological studies on Crater Lake for the National Park Service, was a groundfish observer on fishing boats in Alaska, led school groups as an environmental educator on Jekyll Island, Georgia, and served communities through the AmeriCorps National Civilian Community Corps throughout the eastern states. Hilary received a B.S. from Elmira College in New York with a dual degree in biology and mathematics. In her free time, Hilary enjoys spending time with her husband and son fishing, hunting, camping, and foraging.
Felipe Mendez
Felipe is the owner of On-Site Supply House, working with growers, businesses, and community members to implement irrigation systems and practices that help conserve water. Felipe is passionate about helping local growers, farmers, and individuals understand the importance of keeping, maintaining, and also improving the water quality, fish population, and all natural habitat that surrounds the streams in our valley.