Our Board of Directors

Peter moved to Hood River in 1999 and has worked for more than a decade with Friends of the Columbia Gorge as a Field Representative, protecting the Columbia Gorge. He has been active in a number of local conservation causes and organizations, including the Hood River Waterfront Community Park Association and is a founder of Streets Alive! HR. He served on the Hood River City Council from 2014 – 2018. Prior to moving to Hood River, Peter led a family-owned manufacturing business.

Carrie Thomas is a farmer, teacher, environmental advocate, mathematician, and grandmother residing in the Hood River Valley. She spent most of her childhood in Utah where she gained an appreciation of wild places by roaming the mountains and deserts of the state, often on horseback or skis.  She moved to Oregon in 1978 and has called Hood River Valley home since 2005. Carrie is a retired overseas educator having spent most of her career living in South Africa, Singapore, Scotland and Zimbabwe.  She currently grows Christmas trees on her Hood River farm.  Carrie is a land conservation advocate who values the legacy of Oregon land use laws as a way to help sustain our wild places to nourish our souls, and our farmland to nourish bodies. She believes the survival of the human species is directly tied to the preservation of the flora and fauna of our planet. Carrie loves living in a region with a strong local food network and deeply appreciates the bounty our valley offers. 

Born and raised in Detroit, Ron is a local tax accountant who made the Hood River Valley home over 45 years ago. Before moving to the Hood River Valley, Ron spent years working in Yosemite National Park. Ron has served on the Thrive Hood River board for 40 years, including time as President. Today, Ron is actively involved in numerous community non-profit organizations, operates Muir Woods Tree Farm, travels extensively throughout the world (including such faraway spots as Nepal, Bhutan, Morocco, Vietnam, and Easter Island), and has been a vegetarian for over 51 years.

Scott has been a Board member of Thrive Hood River for over a decade. Scott is a practicing attorney in Hood River and continues to be a pivotal player in the resolution with Mt. Hood Meadows and Hood River County. He has also served with the Collier County Audubon Society from 1990-1994, an affiliate of Florida Audubon.

John has been a land-use practitioner since the 1970s when he first became a member of Thrive Hood River. Later, he was professional staff to the statewide Citizen Involvement Advisory Committee for Oregon’s Land Conservation and Development Commission. He has a longstanding belief that widespread and continuous citizen participation in all phases of local land-use planning will ensure a livable Hood River County. When he’s not traveling overseas, you’ll probably find him enjoying the Pacific Northwest outdoors.

Mike has been a self-employed farmer since 1980. He sits on many different local government and non-profit boards including the Hood River Valley Parks and Recreation District, Middle Fork Irrigation District, Farmer Advisory Committee, and the Hood River Grower Shipper Association Marketing Committee. Mike is a past president of Thrive Hood River and 1,000 Friends of Oregon.

Heather has been passionate about land use, environmental causes, and supporting farmers for most of her career. She studied ethics and sustainability and then pursued politics and nonprofit work in Washington, DC. She has lived with her family in Parkdale since 2016 where she and her husband are now raising two children. She is passionate about supporting local producers, climate resilience, conservation, and having fun outdoors.

OraLee lives in Parkdale on a small farm focused on beekeeping and gardening. Her evolutionary ecology and population biology degree ignited her passion for ecological balance and sustainability. Having lived in Atlanta, GA, and New York City she experienced urban/suburban sprawl and dense population regions. Living in Parkdale since 2017, she appreciates the land protections needed for Hood River County to retain its community character, natural beauty, and ecological resources while developing its Hood River city center. After graduating from Emory University and post-doc at the NIH, she was a professor at the Univ. of Alabama at Birmingham, New York Univ., and Concordia Univ. OraLee works on remote clinical researcher projects while building her and her husband’s small business, Mount Hood Honey Company. She was elected to the board of education for Columbia Gorge Community College. She also provides community service and receives education within the OSU and Columbia Gorge Master Gardener programs. She enjoys skiing and trail bike riding to stay active while appreciating all the beauty and wonder of our local climate and natural treasures.