Claudia Montaño
Program Manager
Claudia Montaño first moved to Hood River in 1979. She is a bilingual-bicultural immigrant, born in Baja California Norte, Mexico. Over the last three decades, Claudia has become very familiar with the many cultures and people of our Columbia Gorge communities.
Claudia began working with The Next Door in 1999, coordinating an underage drinking prevention project. Soon after, she became the project director for a Drug Free Communities Support Program.
Since 2007, Claudia has directed Nuestra Comunidad Sana’s Community Health Services and Prevention Services Programs; two departments that work with youth and adults of the Columbia Gorge region to raise awareness and promote healthy lifestyles, always in a culturally appropriate and effective way.
Her current responsibilities include applying for private and public funding, supervising and managing local and private foundation, state and federal grant projects, reporting and presenting to funders and community groups, facilitating parenting classes, providing coordination and transportation for youth activities, and participating in collaborative groups with community partners.
Because she knows that alcohol and drug use and abuse can add significant challenges to the already difficult lives of youth and adults, Claudia has pursued extensive prevention training and certification, including:
• State of Oregon’s Office of Mental Health and Addiction Programs Prevention Specialist Program
• Western Center for the Application of Prevention Technologies Substance Abuse Prevention Specialist Training at the University of Nevada, Reno
• National Prevention Specialist Certification
• Tobacco Cessation Specialist and Trainer of Trainers Certification, Spanish and English, through the University of Arizona's Healthcare Partnership.
Even though Claudia works very hard to make life better for people in the Columbia Gorge region, she puts a high priority on her volunteer work, family, traveling, reading and spending time with friends and adorable Shih Tzu/Poodle mix doggies, Kikis and Coco.
Favorite authors: Pablo Neruda and Gabriel Garcia Marquez.
Favorite quote: "Travel is fatal to prejudice, bigotry and narrow-mindedness." ~ Mark Twain