Jeanne Liston, Executive Director
Jeanne moved to the Wood River Valley from Kansas in 1999 after spending several years working overseas in Europe, Africa and Asia. While working with street children and AIDS patients in the slums of Bangkok, Thailand, she was persuaded by future husband, Tom, to return to the States and head to the mountains of Idaho.
Jeanne has spent the last 11 years in the Valley dedicated to non-profit work. She worked for Boulder White-Clouds Council and the Wolf Education and Research Center doing wolf education outreach work before moving to the Environmental Resource Center. There she focused on program development, spearheading their Special Events Recycling program, initiating plastics recycling in the Valley, and expanding their Environmental Education Outreach Program from 80 students to 500. Continuing her passion for conservation, she accepted a position at The Nature Conservancy where she spent 4 years working in fund development.
Jeanne is thrilled and honored to obtain the Executive Director position for The Hunger Coalition, allowing her to combine her passion for social justice with her leadership skills in fundraising, community education and program management. Jeanne lives in Bellevue with her husband, Tom, and their dog, Jango.
- Read "Jeanne Liston's Callings," Idaho Mountain Express, Feb 11, 2009
- Read Jeanne’s Introductory Letter dated July 17, 2007
Sharon Dohse, Client Resource Manager
Sharon is an Idaho native who hit the road of high adventure after graduating in Business Administration from Idaho State University. Prior to moving permanently to the Wood River Valley in 2003, Sharon worked with families living in extreme poverty as a volunteer social worker in Guatemala. On her return to Idaho, she put her Spanish skills and social service background to work assisting Spanish-speaking first-time home buyers as a real estate agent. Sharon also joined the team at CSI as an ESL teacher. Wanting to play a more active role in the community, she joined The Hunger Coalition in the spring of 2009 as the Food Program Assistant.
Shortly thereafter she and her husband, Kirk, decided it was time to start their family, adopting 9 year old Makayla. With her daughter settled and thriving in their new life together, Sharon returns to us, more enthusiastic than ever, to continue helping Hunger Coalition clients overcome food insecurity and develop work skills through their new Mentoring Program.
In her spare time, Sharon loves being an active foster parent and enjoys camping, hiking and skiing with her family. With roots once again firmly planted in Idaho, she also enjoys cooking, gardening, and making wine from Idaho's many wild fruits and surprisingly abundant harvests from their tiny vineyard ion the Snake River Canyon rim.
Matt Furber, Food Bank Supervisor
Matt's bio will be posted soon, please check back.
Brooke Pace McKenna
Brooke was born and raised in Hailey, enjoying all the wonderful recreational and developmental opportunities the area provides. After spending more than a decade away, she and her family moved back to Hailey in the fall of 2010. With several years experience in the nonprofit sector as employee, board member, and independent consultant, Brooke has worked or volunteered for just about every type of nonprofit. Social justice, environmental responsibility, community service, volunteerism, access to the arts, and sustainable business practices are not just catch phrases for Brooke, they are tenets that guide her life.
Brooke received a BA in Human Ecology, and invites all those interested in discussing what that means. She has taken respites from her nonprofit-centered endeavors to work for a microbrewery, publish a lifestyle magazine with her husband and friends, and provide bookkeeping services to small companies. Having spent so many years busy with work, volunteering, and enjoying the outdoors, Brooke and her husband Mike somehow found time to start a family are thankful to be raising their two sons, Jack and Sam, here in the Wood River Valley.
Brooke is happy to be back at work in a nonprofit setting grateful for the opportunity as Data Specialist for The Hunger Coalition to help those in need in the valley she loves so much.
Hallie Reikowsky, Garden & Education Manager
Originally from Ohio, Hallie is a graduate of the University of Idaho, arriving in the Wood River Valley about 5 years ago as an AmeriCorps volunteer for the Sawtooth Botanical Garden. She brings with her a great deal of experience in environmental education, teaching programs for children throughout Idaho and, most recently, developing a camp curriculum for The Nature Conservancy.
She has learned all about organic farming through hands-on training at Wood River Organics and has a genuine enthusiasm for the potential in local and sustainable food movements. Hallie loves to forage for wild mushrooms, create various art pieces, snowshoe, backpack, have a nice little hot spring dip, read, play scrabble, cook and jig around the kitchen!
Naomi Spence, Program Director
Naomi was born in a kibbutz in the Golan Heights of Israel. She came to the U. S. in 1980 where she primarily grew up in Seattle, Washington. She spent most of her professional career in major cities around the country such as San Francisco and New York City. Seven years ago, Naomi stumbled across Hailey while on vacation visiting her sister. She never left and underwent a major change as she slowly adjusted from the distractions of city life. The peacefulness of this small mountain town forced her to really take an introspective look at herself and figure out what is most valuable in her life.
Naomi discovered a new-found passion for helping others when she came across a wilderness program for troubled youth based just outside of Shoshone, Idaho. She began working in August of 2004 as a wilderness instructor. Naomi spent most of her weeks in the desert working with the girls' group. The connection that is created between a group of women making their way in the desert through personal growth is magical and marks an amazing evolution of girls into women. Naomi became the Field Director in February of 2006 and remained there until October of 2008.
After four powerful years, Naomi felt it was time to become more closely connected with her own community. As the issue of hunger rapidly grows, she is tremendously excited to bring her skills to serve the residents of Blaine County as the Program Director. Currently, Naomi resides in Hailey with her husband, Matt, and daughter, Ginger. She has developed a strong passion for fly fishing, gardening and anything to do with the outdoors.
Meagan Ryan Stasz, Communications & Development Manager
Born and raised in Northern California, with a brief stint in the Los Angeles area attending USC, Meagan has called the Wood River Valley home for almost 20 years. Her love of the written word has resulted in contributions to local and regional magazines for many years. An equal passion for art led her to manage one of Ketchum's top art galleries, and eventually a well-known local sculpture studio. The joy of working with renowned artists and illustrious collectors was eventually replaced with the joy of being a Mom. In her own words, “Not everyone is so lucky as to be able to raise their children in such a welcoming, encouraging and inspiring environment. It was time to become part of something larger than my immediate world – and The Hunger Coalition provided the solution.”
Looking for greater community involvement, and in need of a career change, Meagan got her first introduction to the non-profit world through her first job interview in over 8 years. By December 2009 she had joined The Hunger Coalition. Knowing this is where her talents can be put to good use, she believes she landed at the right place at the right time.
Evan Stelma, Office Assistant & Bookkeeper
A Wood River Valley native, Evan began her relationship with The Hunger Coalition when the Food Bank consisted of a small office at the Health & Welfare building and most work was accomplished in Jeanne's home. Weathering the growing pains of a small organization with confidence and a genuine smile, Evan recently joined the ranks as Office Assistant/Bookkeeper. Her 20 years experience in bookkeeping and thoughtful attitude are gratefully welcome in the second floor offices of the new Food Bank. Over the years, Evan continues to find herself amazed and overwhelmed by the Coalition's daily accomplishments and by the very real needs facing so many in our community.
She and her husband Bart, who is the Wood River Fire & Rescue Fire Chief, live in Bellevue with a beautiful garden that Evan considers one of her passions, alongside quilting. Her two grown children live in the Wood River Valley as well, allowing Evan to also enjoy spending time with her absolutely wonderful granddaughter.
