School Board

There are five Director Districts in Hockinson School District. Each School Board Member resides in the Director District that they represent.

Washington state’s public school districts are governed by publicly-elected school boards. These board members—called “school directors”—are citizens just like you! They are parents and grandparents, young people and senior citizens, and diverse community members from all walks of life. There is great value in diversity on a school board. Each member brings their varying experiences and backgrounds to inform good decision making with a spirit of teamwork.

Board Members

Teresa VanNatta (District 1)

Teresa VanNatta

Title: Board Chair - District 1 (2021-2025)

Email: teresa.vannatta@hocksd.org

Tell us a bit about yourself.

I grew up here in Clark County and I met my husband Jim while attending Clark College. After marriage and starting our family, we moved to Hockinson and bought a little country store - Hockinson Market. It’s hard to believe that was 26 years ago! While our three children happily attended Hockinson Schools, I continued my education and earned a Masters in Teaching degree from WSU. Since then, I've been enjoying my career in education as well as working with my family restoring and maintaining Hockinson Market. I’m currently teaching 3rd grade at Sifton Elementary in the Evergreen School District. Our grown children, Trevor, Erica and Justin are all married with children of their own. My best times are those spent with my grandchildren and family. I also enjoy my pets, paddle boarding, gardening, traveling and book club. Living, growing and learning in Hockinson continues to be a wonderful experience for my family. I have much to be grateful for.

What drives your passion for education and for serving on the HSD Board?

As a teacher, I know firsthand the skills our children need to address complex challenges in work and life. In Hockinson I believe we need to maintain our school programs, activities, facilities and staff. As a community we can provide our students with a high-quality education that imparts honesty about who we are, integrity in how we treat others, and courage to do what’s right. Our schools need to be welcoming places that support every student. Creating a supportive environment that values each student is a foundation that leads to academic success and graduation. I believe in a shared vision for Hockinson. Working together on these values benefits all members of our community.

What contribution to HSD schools are you most proud of?

Our schools are the heart of our small town and it is rewarding to be connected and involved. When my children attended Hockinson Schools, there were numerous ways that I became personally involved in supporting our schools. I worked as a volunteer with Hockinson PWT and the Hockinson Nature Club. I was actively involved in the grassroots community led Hockinson High School Planning Committee by taking and posting meeting notes. When my children became seniors, I worked on their graduation celebration committees. I have chaperoned trips and helped with numerous school fundraising events. Over the years, I have enjoyed attending sporting events, and music and drama performances. It is an honor for me to serve on the Hockinson School Board. I'm looking forward to giving back to my community and seeing a bright future for all students in Hockinson.

4. What about the Hockinson community inspires you?

I love that Hockinson Schools are the heart of our community. Infact, many families move here for the schools. I’m inspired by our community’s caring support for our students and staff as well as Fire District 3 and The Hockinson Main Street Team. It shows that the people of Hockinson are dedicated and involved in making our town a place we are proud to call home. Many people in Hockinson will build relationships and connections with each other because being an active member in this small town is a unique experience that we share.

“Community is much more than belonging to something; it’s about doing something together that makes belonging matter.” Brian Solis

Patrick Carter (District 2)

Patrick Carter

Title: Director District 2 (2021-2025)

Email: patrick.carter@hocksd.org

Elected/Appointed:11/09/2020

1. Tell us a little bit about yourself.

“I am the Washington Marketing Team Lead for Weyerhaeuser, a large timberland and wood products company. My wife, Ada, and I have two sons. Caleb is a sixth grader at HMS and Eli is a second grader at HHES. Ada is very involved in PWT, the Hockinson Citizens Advisory Committee, and the HHES Garden Club, and is an active member of the Hockinson Main Street Team.

As the Legislative Representative of the Board, I am committed to making sure the HSD’s voice is heard in Olympia and Washington DC. Existing and new legislation can have a very large impact on all aspects of school operations and student experience. It is our responsibility to inform our legislators about the potential impacts of proposed legislation, while at the same time providing insight into creating or changing legislation that would benefit HSD.”

2. What drives your passion for education and for serving on the HSD Board?

“I am passionate about providing excellent public education that is accessible to all students. Access to education is important so all students can grow and learn in order to be productive contributors for themselves and their communities.”

3. What contribution to HSD schools are you most proud of?

“I am proud of the amount of time and energy that all of our board members, administrators and teachers have contributed to help persist through these challenging times...My favorite part of this role is the opportunity to have new experiences and make new connections with people that I likely would not have otherwise been able to do.”

4. What about the Hockinson community inspires you?

“I am consistently inspired by the resilience of our students. Our students are working hard to make the best of a difficult situation this year. That being said, I recognize that COVID-19 has impacted students in many different ways and that our Hockinson community is receptive to these needs and pitching in to help our students.”

Anne-Elissa Carter (District 3)

Anne-Elissa Carter

Title: Vice Chair - District 3 (2023-2027)

Email: anne-elissa.carter@hocksd.org

Tell us a little bit about yourself.

I graduated from Evergreen High School in Vancouver, Washington. I continued my education at Clark College on a track and field Scholarship, earning an Associate of Arts degree. At Clark College, I participated in cross country and track. This is also where I met my husband, Chris, an information security analyst for the Port of Vancouver. I've spent the last 25 years working in the movie theater industry, with the last 22 as a General Manager running different theaters throughout the Portland Metro area, the last 14 here in Vancouver.

I have two children, Anderson and Davis who attend Hockinson schools, I enjoy volunteering in classrooms and accompanying them on field trips, I am always eager to lend a helping hand.

Outside of work, I am passionate about exploring new food spots, attending theater and musicals, watching my boys play sports, and traveling with Anderson's hockey teams across the US and Canada.

What drives your passion for education and for serving on the HSD Board?

I am passionate about education and serving on the HSD Board because every Hockinson student deserves an equal opportunity to succeed in the classroom and beyond. As someone who has a career managing a movie theater, I have the privilege of working with young adults who are still in the educational system or have just left it. Through this experience, I see how teens navigate school and life. We can work together to help them throughout their education to better prepare them for the world outside of school. My goal is to ensure that every student is ready for the future and has access to the resources they need to succeed while a student within HSD. I am committed to helping students achieve their goals and pursue their passions, whichever career path choose.

What contribution to HSD schools are you most proud of?

Being new to this position, I look forward to continuing the great contributions the school board has made and continues to make for our district. I'm excited to work with the team to see where we can go.

4. What about the Hockinson community inspires you?

The tight-knit feel of the Hockinson community is unique and hard to find. My kids have been together with the same peer group since kindergarten, which has allowed us to get to know the kids and families well.

Kat Stupka (District 4)

Kat Stupka

Title: Director District 4 (2023-2027)

Email: kat.stupka@hocksd.org

Elected/Appointed: 12/11/2023

1. Tell us a little about yourself?

Until last year I had spent my entire life in a small suburb outside of DFW Texas living within 10 minutes of my parents and an hour of most of my immediate family. In the last 5 years I served on the Board of three nonprofits for a local fine arts association, church, and community organization. I love being able to drive positive change and make a difference in my community that I know benefits its members long term.

My husband Joel and I have what we call "two only children" because of their gap in age. One now attends HHS and the other is a brand new baby TKer at HHES. We decided in 2022 that since we both worked remotely we should take advantage of the opportunity to choose where we wanted to live, and this area was calling our name! It was a gigantic shift moving across the country and leaving our support system behind, but when we pulled into our driveway for the first time I knew this was definitely home.

During the week, I am the Head of Marketing for a national analytics company that specializes in healthcare recruiting during working hours, but that just pays the bills. I love anything outdoors - paddle boarding, kayaking, hiking, and snowboarding especially. Living here has given us the freedom to be a few hours from the coast or the mountains and it really is a dream come true! We spend at least 1 night a week at the Hockinson Market where you can often hear our youngest yelling at someone "Hey, I know you from ASA!"

I'm a writer, photographer, and painter when I have the time as well as a former theater geek who wishes that Hockinson had its own community theater! I'm a very active person so you'll also often find me at one of the gyms I'm a member at.

2. What drives your passion for education and for serving on the HSD Board?

We had quite the roller coaster of a journey when my oldest was in Elementary School in Texas. The public schools in the town we lived in were notoriously bad, and the private schools were even more notoriously expensive. It was a struggle to find a good option that we could afford and it broke my heart.
I believe that every child deserves to have the foundation of not just a good education, but one that is memorable, positive, and exceptional. One of the biggest things we looked at when we were pinpointing houses to buy was honest reviews from other parents on the school districts so that we could make sure that when we did move it was to something better.

HSD had some of the best reviews but what I noticed more than that were the positive shifts already happening. The parents in the district acknowledged imperfections but also vocally expressed that they knew that they were being addressed. That hope drove me to not only choose a home in this district, but run for the board seat and be a part of the future of HSD.

3. What contribution to HSD schools are you most proud of or look forward to making at HSD?

Looking at things even 1.5 years ago when we arrived, there has already been so many improvements and milestones achieved. I look forward to ensuring that each HSD student has equitable access to the education and childhood cornerstones that they deserve regardless of barriers they have or differences they may face. I also look forward to helping strengthen the bond of the community of Hockinson even more - it's such a special place and I look forward to helping it grow.

4. What about the Hockinson Community inspires you?

There has been nothing but welcoming since moving here and that has been comforting, inspiring, and really magical for our family. The willingness of community members to give advice, lend a hand, and answer questions without hesitation is the reason that we were able to become a part of Hockinson as quickly as we have.
The people here are what make it feel like home, and that is something that can't be created or faked.

Gordon Smith (District 5)

Gordon Smith

Title: Director District 5 (2023-2027)

Email: gordon.smith@hocksd.org

Elected/Appointed:12/11/2017

1. Tell us a little bit about yourself.

“I have worked for the U.S. Department of the Interior for 12 years, and that’s why I relocated to Hockinson. My wife Anna and I have been married for 31 years and have three children, two of whom graduated from HHS (in 2012 and 2017). Our youngest son is an 8th grader at HSD. My wife, children, and I are all members of the Makah Indian Tribe.

I am also a member of the district’s Equity Team. I strongly believe that equity should be a part of every decision or program we create, which is really easy to say, but often difficult to implement. My own experience as a Native American means that I’m often the only person of color in a room or group. As a school board member, I feel I can educate others through my experiences. Like any other place, we all have a little bit to learn to make this a better place for everyone. We want all of our students to have a good experience and to be able to make things more equitable for all of our students and community members.”

2. What drives your passion for education and for serving on the HSD Board?

“I’m a strong believer in public service and helping out where you can. I’ve served in other elected positions and prior to moving to Hockinson, I worked with Cape Flattery School District, so it’s something I’ve long had an interest in. I do like to bring my experience to support public education. I’m a firm supporter of public education and the good it does for our society. We all have different roles to play, and at this point in my life, I want to bring my experiences and talent to serving our schools and community.”

3. What contribution to HSD schools are you most proud of?

“I feel really proud to be serving with so many other individuals who are passionate about public education. We are a well-rounded team, with talented people that have a real love for not only education but for serving the community. I’m glad to be a member of a team that’s doing such good work.”

4. What about the Hockinson community inspires you?

“I’m always so inspired that despite the small size and rural nature of our district, we have still accomplished so much. To think we can be as small as we are and still offer the programs and services we do is amazing. We’re different and we’re unique compared to other districts in the region. The amount of work the whole community puts in makes it a really special place.”