OUR TEAM - Board of Directors
Jordan Kim
Renee Jenkinson
My husband and I moved to Parkdale in 2005 and it was one of the best decisions we ever made. The upper valley community is our chosen family. The Mt. Hood Town Hall is one of the landmarks of this community. Like many before him, our son went to preschool at the Town Hall. I teach art classes, workshops and summer camps there. I am honored to be able to serve on the board to maintain this centerpiece of our community.
Renee Jenkinson
Renee Jenkinson
My grandparents moved to the Upper Valley in 1970. We grew up moving a lot, always returning to Mt Hood, always feeling like home driving the tractor, walking the ditch, and picking wildflowers. My favorite Town Hall memory is cooking in the kitchen for my sister's wedding while my cousins played the piano and we all sang. I now live in Mt Hood full time with my mother and son and feel so grateful to be part of Mt Hood Town Hall and our sweet Upper Valley community. It's an honor to get to give back to this place that has taken such
good care of us.
Jenni Donahue
Jenni Donahue
How were we lucky enough to end up in Parkdale? After traveling the world, working as Foresters all over California, Oregon, and Washington, working on Russian and Japanese fishing boats in the winter Bering Sea, luck shown on us as we made our home here to raise our kids. After all our experiences and wanderings, there's no place like home! Mt. Hood Town Hall has something for everyone... come check it out!
Bob Danko
Jenni Donahue
I think it was 2005. While I had found my way to an engineering career, I had always wanted to be a gardener/landscaper. After driving by the Mt Hood Town Hall daily for several years, one day I decided to stop by and volunteer to spend a little time improving the grounds. In short, it was a mess. Yea, right, a little time. Everything about the Town Hall... the place and the people... has been a wonderful and life changing experience.
Roger Nelson
Roger Nelson
We became involved with MHTH in 2005 when we decided to have our daughter's wedding reception there. After dealing with all the problems of a facility built in 1914, its character proved to be perfect to celebrate a wedding. However, it has led to serving on the board of directors, which also means being on staff, and continuing a labor of love improving and maintaining the building and grounds.
Joe Odden
Roger Nelson
The Upper Valley is a small paradise, from my office I look unto the jewel that is our Town Hall. I love being out in my garden, hearing the community come alive across the highway. My daughter won't know childhood without thinking of the playground and flowered pathways. I believe our rural community can thrive through our dedication, adapting to our changing needs, while still preserving rich traditions. And we'll make new ones.
Bob Dorband
Marie Pickering
Marie Pickering
Drawn by the natural beauty of the upper Hood River Valley, my wife and I moved to Parkdale after long legal careers. It didn’t take long to realize that the real beauty of the area is the strong sense of community and its stewardship of the incredible resources the area has to offer, among them the MHTH. Living in this paradise encouraged me to give back to help protect and preserve the unique nature of our little corner of the earth.
Marie Pickering
Marie Pickering
Marie Pickering
Our Team - Staff
Kristin Reese
Kristin Reese is the Town Hall Manager. She and her husband, (Stan Loop) have lived in Parkdale for nearly 20 years. Kristin has extensive background working with non-profits and is excited to bring her passion for community building to Mt. Hood Town Hall. Questions? Email Kristin to request rental information, learn about MHTH events, make a donation, etc.
John Ashby
Our neighbor, John Ashby is an invaluable part of our team. He greets visitors, maintains the recycling depot, helps with Community Meals and secures the building day and night. John has lived in the Upper Valley for (probably a REALLY long time). He loves this place and it shows.
TEAM TOWN HALL
Volunteers make the difference!
Mt Hood Town Hall is the treasure it is due to the efforts of our amazing volunteers.
- OUTDOORS: Our "grounds crew" volunteers would be happy to provide a list of tasks and instruction as needed.
- INDOORS: We have quarterly work parties to take care of sporadic cleaning needs -. baseboards, cobwebs, and tasks that don't get regular attention.
- EVENTS: We also appreciate volunteer support for our community events. (Holiday Market & "Cookies with Santa", Music on the Lawn, Interesting People Series and more to come!)
QUESTIONS? Email mthoodtownhall@gmail.com to find out more or to sign up as a Team Town Hall volunteer.
History
Mt. Hood Town Hall has long been the center of its community–first as a school and now as a thriving community center. For more than 100 years this dear old building has served us well.
The Mt Hood Towne Hall Association was incorporated in 1985 as a 501(c)(3) non profit organization. The purpose of the association is to restore and maintain the Mt Hood Town Hall and to operate it as a community center for the Upper Hood River Valley. The association has a volunteer board of directors and appreciates (and relies on) the strong continuing community support (donations, building rentals, volunteers, instructors, etc.).
1914 to present
- The Mt. Hood School was designed and built by Lou Baldwin. Completed in December of 1914, it cost only $4,850.
- The school originally had only two rooms but was expanded in two additions until it reached its current size. 1926–kitchen and dining room in the basement and two additional classrooms above. 1932–gym and stage.
- Francis Rose, a teacher at the school, and a group of mothers (one of the first PTOs in the valley) organized the first school hot lunch program in the valley.
- The building served as an elementary school from 1915 until it was closed due to district consolidation in 1961.
- The building was privately owned by the Dougherty’s and served as a church until it was purchased by the Hood River County board of commissioners in 1973 with the stipulation that no county funds would be involved in its operation or renovation.
- The volunteer Mt. Hood Towne Hall Association (the Association) was incorporated as a 501(c)3 in 1985 to manage and improve the building and grounds.
- Mt. Hood Town Hall (MHTH) became a community center for the upper valley and since that time, has been maintained by a volunteer board of directors with the help of many in the community.
- In 2004, MHTH entered a phase of extensive renovation, thanks to the help of some very dedicated volunteers and the support of the local community. To address the building’s aging infrastructure – plumbing, heating, electrical, etc. - the Association obtained several large grants. Other renovations included an all abilities/accessible ramp from the back parking lot and sidewalks all the way around the building.
- In 2014, MHTH celebrated its 100th birthday with a grand summer BBQ event. In celebration of 100 years, MHTH's board organized the centennial improvement project, and received several grants to renovate the building and grounds.
- A new playground was added and the old tennis court was converted to pickle ball and extra parking space. The kitchen was renovated into a high end commercial space. The building was painted and new energy efficient windows replaced all existing windows. The grounds were updated to include landscaping, a small courtyard, and a healthy front lawn.
- MHTH has three part time staff but still relies on volunteers for its board of directors and for doing much of the maintenance and renovation.