Board of Directors

Ross Copperman

board Chair

Ross Copperman is a former outdoor industry executive at brands like Smith Optics and First Lite. A 24 year resident of the Wood River Valley, Ross most recently worked as Chief Commercial Officer at MeatEater Inc. and currently serves as a consultant and advisor.

Board of Directors

DEB VAN LAW

Board Vice Chair

Pronouns: she/her/Ella
Deb is originally from El Paso, TX and was raised in Twin Falls, ID. She first moved to the Wood River Valley in 1992, and graduated from Boise State University with a Bachelor of Arts in Bilingual Education. She went on to get her Master of Arts in Curriculum Instruction and Education, also at Boise State University. She’s taught every elementary grade except for first, and is currently a reading specialist at Alturas Elementary. Deb enjoys hiking, camping, exploring new places with her husband Tucker and three children, and playing the violin with Wood River Orchestra. “I believe strongly in every member of our community having food security and am grateful to be a small part of making that happen through The Hunger Coalition’s work.

Board of Directors

KODY LAGGIS

BOARD Treasurar

Kody graduated from the University of Idaho in 2013 with a double major in accounting and finance, joined the firm later that year, and passed the CPA exam in 2014. Kody takes advantage of all aspects of the Wood River Valley, including the abundance of outdoor and community activities. He enjoys working with clients from the early planning stages of projects all the way through until the plan comes to fruition.

Board of Directors

Fernanda Gonzalez Hausske

Board Secretary

Fernanda grew up in the Washington, DC area, but has found her home in the Wood River Valley. She lives alongside her husband, three boys, three dogs, and five chickens. She is passionate about gardening, cooking, and children’s potential. She has spent her entire life as either a student or a teacher. She completed her BA in education and psychology at Swarthmore College, her MA in Educational Policy at Teachers College, Columbia University, and completed her PhD coursework in Education Policy, Organization, Measurement, and Evaluation at UC Berkeley. She has taught in Title I schools in Washington, DC, North Philadelphia, East Oakland, and Richmond, CA, and at Hailey Elementary and Hemingway STEAM School in the Valley.

Board of Directors

CARTER COX

Board member

Pronouns: she/her/hers
Carter Cox moved to Hailey in 2019 after living in Jackson, Wyoming for seven years and is excited to be making her home in the Wood River Valley with her two daughters. During her time in Jackson, Carter served Slow Food in the Tetons as Director of Operations and as a board member, also serving in staff roles at the National Museum of Wildlife Art and the Jackson Hole Conservation Alliance. With a background in nonprofit management, philanthropy and leadership development, Carter brings expertise in strategic planning, fundraising strategy, and project management. Carter is a Senior Associate with Pathfinder Philanthropy Advisors and enjoys anything active outdoors when not working or volunteering. As a regular volunteer with her family at Bloom Farm and Hope Garden, Carter is excited to add board service to her roles with The Hunger Coalition!

Board of Directors

John Hatzenbuehler, MD

Board Member

John grew up in Pocatello, ID before moving on to college at the University of Notre Dame. He eventually completed medical school at the University of Washington before moving to Portland, Maine for residency. He eventually found himself back in Idaho when he moved to the valley in 2017. He now works as a family/sports medicine physician at St. Luke's. He and his wife Stephanie who is also from Idaho and works as a mental health therapist in the valley, are thrilled to be back in Idaho and raising their two children.

Board of Directors

Ben Lawrence

Board Member

Ben holds a Bachelor of Science in Business from the Huntsman School of Business - Utah State University. His advanced education includes the Executive Management program at the University of Pennsylvania, London School of Business, Oxford University, and the University of Michigan. In 2008, Ben joined Wesfarmers Limited, a large Australian conglomerate with over 200,000 employees as Chief Human Resources Officer, in 2016, he moved to the senior advisory role working with the Wesfarmers Group CEO, Executive Team and Board. Prior to joining Wesfarmers, in 2001, Ben was the global head of Human Resources for Foster's Group Limited, a global beverage company based in Melbourne, Australia. Ben held a variety of senior executive roles in the United States including Chief Human Resources Officer with Beringer Wine Estates, Vice President International and Household Products with the Clorox Company, and Human Resources Director with FMC Corporation, a global diversified mining, minerals and chemicals business. Ben was also the non-executive director of two non-profit organisations in Australia: Red Dust, focused on indigenous health and wellness; and the Wunan Foundation, focused on improving Aboriginal education, employment, and accommodation in the East Kimberley region of Australia. Ben retired in July 2017 and now runs a leadership consultancy and advisory practice in the USA and Australia helping organizations and senior executives achieve high performance. His primary focus is working with the most senior team and Board on leadership effectives, succession, and management transition.

Board of Directors

Margo Peck

Board Member

Margo is originally from Riverside, CA and has been living part-time in the Wood River Valley since 1985. After retiring from her work in community mental health, she is now a full-time valley resident. She has a long history in non-profit management, serving on several boards, and as Executive Director of the Southern California Counseling Center. Margo is a licensed Marriage, Family Therapist. She was drawn to the mission of The Hunger Coalition to empower people in all aspects of their lives. Some of her favorite pastimes are reading, playing bridge and taking in the beauty of our valley.

staff and board photo format (3)

Bridget Noonan

Board Member

Bridget Noonan moved to Ketchum in 2016 to work for First Lite, spending the better part of a decade running marketing for the brand and its sister brands under the MeatEater umbrella. She spent her time at First Lite working closely with conservation groups to support public land access. Bridget currently serves as the Senior Brand Director at DECKED, another local Wood River Valley brand. She lives in Ketchum with her husband and two children and loves all of the many outdoor activities that we have at our fingertips here in Idaho.