Bio of Judie Hanel
Judie was born and raised in Denver, Colorado and moved to Hood River from Calgary, Alberta in 1977. She was attracted by the beauty of the Hood River Valley and the Gorge and their pristine farm and forests. To help preserve this beauty, Judie has worked as a board member of the Hood River Valley Residents Committee.
Judie has been actively involved with numerous nonprofit organizations and projects, such as the Children’s Park and served on the board of Citizen’s for Responsible Growth. She was a realtor with Don Nunamaker, Realtors for 23 years.
Judie’s lasting legacy is certainly through her work in civic theatre. From a young age, she has been involved in all aspects of the theatre. Upon moving to Hood River, she founded CAST, the community theatre company in 1978.
Judie was a charter member of the Columbia Center for the Arts board to create a permanent home for CAST and the Columbia Art Gallery. She served as the first executive director when the Columbia Center for the Arts opened in 2004 and is currently doing fundraising and development for the Center. Judie graduated from the University of Denver with a BFA in theatre.
She is a charter member of the Gorge Community Foundation board.