Board and Volunteers
Heather Walker
Board President
Heather became Board President in January 2024, taking over after long-time Board President Bruce Holmson retired.
Heather started volunteering for the Hood River County Christmas Project when she joined her husband and her oldest daughter to pack food boxes with the high school basketball team 4 years ago. It was then she saw the good this project does for the community and wanted to be a part of it. She has been organizing the volunteers for the last 3 years.
Aside from being a mom of 3 she is a dental hygienist focusing her efforts on individuals who find getting to the dental office difficult. She is the owner of Hood River Mobile Dental Hygiene and an active member of Westside PTO where all of her children have attended school.
Leslie Hidle
Secretary
Leslie was born and raised in Hood River. Her father, Bud Collins, was a firefighter and worked with the Christmas Project in the late 1930s.
Leslie has worked with the Christmas Project for more than 20 years, and also serves as board secretary for the FISH Food Bank. She chairs the mid-Columbia CROP walk to raise money for local food banks and has been honored as a Soroptimist "Woman of Distinction."
Tonia Frazier
Treasurer
Tonia has volunteered with the Hood River County Christmas Project for several years. She became Board Treasurer in June 2020. Tonia is a lifelong resident of Hood River, and currently works for Washington Federal Bank in Hood River. She has had family members whose kids wouldn't have had presents under the tree if not for the Christmas Project, during tough financial times. The Christmas Project is near and dear to her heart and she appreciates a chance to give back through her work with the project.
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Lindsey Holmson
Board Vice-President
Lindsey was elected to the board in early 2021 and became Board Vice-President in 2024. She has worked extensively with the Christmas Project, particularly in handling sponsorships for local families. In 2020, her challenge was to organize the distribution of food and gift cards by mail to almost 900 families. She works to ensure that all registered families receive the right food boxes, gift cards, and children's toys.
Juan Reyes
Director
Juan is a long-time supporter and volunteer for the Christmas Project. He joined the board in 2022. He has spent hours helping people register, and has worked on distribution activities as well.
As reported by the Columbia Community Connection: "He now serves at Hood River Valley High School as a prevention and graduation coach, works for Washington Gorge Action Programs (WAGAP) as the LatinX Community Outreach Coordinator, and teaches a GED course for adult Spanish-speaking students." (Thanks to WaGap for the photo).
Tracey Tomashpol
Director
Tracey has been a supporter of the Christmas Project since 2006 and joined in person after moving to Hood River in 2018. She helps with the Tree of Joy campaign and with Christmas Project online work. She volunteers at the FISH Food Bank and serves on the boards of Protect Our Parks Hood River and Columbia Insight, a non-profit environmental news site covering the Pacific Northwest.
Bruce Holmson
Past Board President and
2023 United Way Outstanding Volunteer of the Year
Bruce joined the Christmas Project in 1996, and began "driving the sleigh" in 2003. He oversees the Board's meetings, coordinates overall planning, and is the "voice" of the project throughout the community. Bruce continues to actively work with the board. In late 2023, he was also honored by the United Way of the Columbia Gorge as "Outstanding Volunteer of the Year."