ABOUT
Hat Creek Consulting was formed in 2002 as a resource to help nonprofits and other community-based organizations achieve their goals. At Hat Creek, we strive to support community-identified solutions that address community-identified needs. We are fierce believers in the power of nonprofits to help individuals and the communities where they live healthier.
Paul Lindberg, JD; Founder
Our founder and President began his career with nonprofits in 1993 when he volunteered for a tiny nonprofit in Minneapolis. He quickly realized he had found his place and never looked back. He thought practicing law would always be a good Plan B, much to his mother's chagrin.
He moved to Hood River, Oregon in 2000, and has been fortunate to work on many great community projects including as capital campaign manager on several projects. Along the way, he has done just about everything there is to do within the nonprofit sector, strategic planning, program development, Board training, policy development, and every type of fundraising imaginable. He has also served as Executive Director, staff member, Board member, and volunteer for a variety of organizations.
Paul's work and connections expand beyond Oregon. He has served as Advisor to many agencies including the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation's Culture of Health Prize National Advisory Group among other advisory roles with the Foundation; he has served as Lead Research Scholar for TEDMED, vetting speakers for the TEDMED program; and served as a Community Advisor to National Academy of Medicine Culture of Health Team. He also sits on the North Central Regional Solutions Advisory Committee, a program with Oregon Governor Tina Kotek’s office.
Kayla Warner, MPH; Principal
Kayla brings more than 10 years experience to community-based work in rural Oregon. With a Masters in Public Health, Kayla's work has focused on community-engaged research, program coordination and evaluation. She has worked across a spectrum of organizations including Oregon State University and Oregon Health & Sciences University, where she currently still supports community-based organizations as Community Research Liaison. Kayla enjoys focusing on strengthening community-driven infrastructure and translating local priorities into sustainable, fundable solutions.
Claire Rawson Wagner, MSW, CHW; Principal
Born and raised in the Columbia Gorge, Claire is a trained Community Health Worker who holds a Masters in Social Work from Boston University. As a CHW, she brings a grassroots level perspective to all of Hat Creek's projects. Her Masters program focused on macro-social work with an emphasis on collective impact. A strong believer in the principle that everyone is an expert in their own lived experience, Claire has a unique ability to blend her community-level work with the '10,000 foot' view of an issue, system, or community. As a former Jesuit Volunteer Corps member, there is no task or issue too large or too small for Claire to tackle.
Shelley Toon, Principal
Shelley has built her 25+ year career on teaching art to students, training teachers on arts integration, managing art-focused organizations, and advocating for arts and kids every chance she gets. With 14 years experience as Executive Director of Arts in Education of the Gorge and Chair of the Hood River Cultural Trust, Shelley brings extensive experience in program design, fundraising, and grants - from both sides of the table.
Shelley utilizes her skills throughout the Northwest, working in Oregon, Washington, Alaska, and Hawaii. A significant amount of her work focuses on partnering with cultural-specific organizations to preserve indigenous languages and cultures of southeast Alaska. She has also worked extensively with the Yupik people in southwest Alaska. Shelley leads similar work in Hawaii as both a Teaching Artist with the Hui N'oeau Art Center on Maui and as a Board Member of When We Shine, a nonprofit serving students and teachers across Maui.