Museum announces new director, board members

“We are excited for a new beginning with Lisa at the helm as executive director,” said Erica Roulier, chair of the Heritage Council. “Lisa’s impressive experience will help us continue to provide new exhibitions and programs for both residents and visitors to the Gorge.”

“I look forward to expanding the museum’s partnership with other members of Museums of the Gorge, an informal organization of history keepers along the Columbia River,” said Commander. “Cultural institutions like The History Museum of Hood River County are more important than ever: Interactions with historical collections provide critical context to current affairs and offer a lens to the future. Add a dash of fun and humor and the museum experience becomes memorable for all.”

Most recently, Commander had been the director of learning and engagement and assistant director at the Columbia Gorge Discovery Center in The Dalles. She has also served as director of the Columbia Gorge Veterans Museum in The Dalles and worked as a grant writer for the Western Antique Aeroplane and Automobile Museum in Hood River.

Commander previously worked at the University of Washington as assistant program director in the Continuing Education department. She directed the Project Management Certificate Program, comprised of more than 40 instructors and more than 400 students. Prior to that, Commander was director of curriculum development in the adult degree completion program for Northwest University in Kirkland, Wash. She also taught history, political science and student success courses for the program.

Previous Executive Director Anna Goodwin was with the museum for three years and left at the end of January to pursue new endeavors.

“Anna will be missed,” said Roulier. “She was great to work with and has modernized many aspects of the museum’s procedures. She brought popular programs to the museum, including the Hidden History lecture series and the beloved summer ice cream socials.”

Roulier also announced that the Heritage Council welcomed two new members at its February meeting: Peg Lalor, founder of the Gorge Games, and Will Ennis, a museum volunteer and member of Hood River’s Landmarks Review board. Ennis works for Metro, a government planning agency in the Portland area.

Lalor said, “I’m a relic that landed here as part of the Hood River windsurfing craze in 1984. In 2004, I moved away, had a bike/car accident and spent 13 years figuring out which way is up (via extensive physical therapy) in Vancouver, BC. I moved back here in February 2023. There is so much vibrant and connected community that I have been enjoying since I got here. I enjoyed giving a talk for the museum about the Gorge Games last April, and I look forward to joining the Heritage Council team.”

The History Museum of Hood River County holds in trust a collection of artifacts, documents, and photographs that document the history of all the peoples of this area of the central Gorge, said a press release. The mission of the museum is to bring to life the stories of our heritage through education, discussion, and exhibitions and to promote understanding of history and how it impacts our present and shapes the future.

The History Museum reopened for the year on March 1 with a new temporary exhibition, “Voices of the River,” a story-driven display that introduces visitors to the Columbia River system’s Indigenous history, living cultures and ecologies. It is a collaborative video-based production from Confluence, filmmaker Woodrow (Woody) Hunt (Klamath/Modoc/Cherokee) and the Confluence Native Cultural Advisory Community.

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The Hood River County Heritage Council is a 501c3 nonprofit that manages the museum.