Hood River City Manager Abigail Elder in front of City Hall during her first week. Elder said that her first priority as city manager is to listen. She wants to hear what residents and employees have to say and what topics are on the top of their mind.
Hood River Fire Captain Manuel Irusta gives new Community Engagement Coordinator Nubia Sánchez-Contreras a tour of the fire department on Nov. 4. Contreras has lived in Hood River her entire life and hopes to give back. “I am trying to inform my community on projects going on with the city,” said Contreras.
Hood River City Manager Abigail Elder in front of City Hall during her first week. Elder said that her first priority as city manager is to listen. She wants to hear what residents and employees have to say and what topics are on the top of their mind.
Noah Noteboom photo
HOOD RIVER — Newly hired City Manager Abigail Elder, and Community Engagement Coordinator Nubia Sánchez-Contreras jumped right into the swing of things on Nov. 1 when they were given guided tours around City Hall and other departments.
Elder came to Hood River from Beaverton, where she served in the role of Community Services and Engagement Director for the City. Elder went to St. Olaf College in Minnesota, earned her bachelors degree in political science, but you won’t see her run for elected office.
“I’m much more interested in the mechanics of good governance,” said Elder. “How can we be good stewards of taxpayer dollars and make it efficient.”
She graduated with a Master’s of Art in Library and Information Studies from the University of Wisconsin-Madison, before coming to Portland with her husband where she received her masters in Public Administration from Portland State University. Coincidentally, Sánchez-Contreras also attended PSU.
A member of the 2010 Class at Hood River Valley High School, Contreras has previously worked as a Prevention Specialist for the Hood River Prevention Department, and the Community Care Coordinator at Bridges To Health.
Hood River Fire Captain Manuel Irusta gives new Community Engagement Coordinator Nubia Sánchez-Contreras a tour of the fire department on Nov. 4. Contreras has lived in Hood River her entire life and hopes to give back. “I am trying to inform my community on projects going on with the city,” said Contreras.
Noah Noteboom photo
Both Elder and Contreras were scheduled to officially begin work for the City on Nov. 1, but their due diligence began months earlier.
Elder was watching City Council meetings on Zoom weeks before her start date, hoping a head start would bring along a smoother transition to her first experience as city manager.
Contreras has been engaged with Hood River since her high school days. At HRVHS she was a member of the OSSOM club — a group that has been renamed to HEALTH Media. The club is meant to do exactly what it stands for: Help, Educate, Advocate, Lead Towards Health. While touring the valley, Contreras centered a lot of her conversations around what can she do for them. Hood River Fire Captain Manuel Irusta suggested spreading the word to students on their intern residency program.
Actions are important, but Elder has been trying to listen more than anything.
“Hood River is a really great town, and I’m not here to change it,” said Elder. “The first step is to hear what folks have to say.”
Despite working in different buildings, Elder and Contreras will work very closely together. Contreras contributes a local perspective and Elder is bringing new ideas to a new place.
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