Katie Kadlub Announces Departure from HR Chamber

Jun 26

Written By Columbia Community Connection

From Hood River County Chamber of Commerce and Visit Hood River:

By Justin Yax

Hood River, Ore., June 26, 2026 — After more than five years as the leader of Visit Hood River, Chief Executive Officer Katie Kadlub has announced her intention to step down from tourism’s top post in Hood River County. Her departure includes her leadership roles at both Visit Hood River and the Hood River County Chamber of Commerce.

While an exact departure date has not been announced, Kadlub will play a role in the search and hiring of her successor and will remain in place until mid-December or until the position has been filled and her replacement has been onboarded, whichever comes first.

“As members not only of the Visit Hood River Board of Directors but also as residents of Hood River, we are grateful to Katie for her leadership, accomplishments, and the thriving organization she leaves behind,” said Visit Hood River Board Chair Corina Farrar. “Her collaborative spirit, strategic thinking, and magnetic personality will be missed, but we are confident that the search for her replacement will produce a new leader who inherits an organization that is in good health and well-positioned for further growth.”

Kadlub leaves behind a track record of progress and accomplishments, including but not limited to stronger working relationships with the City of Hood River, the Hood River City Council, and Hood River County, and significantly improved organizational financial stability. Under her leadership, Visit Hood River also introduced the Community Investment Grant Program, launched the stewardship-based “You’re our People” marketing campaign, and made significant progress in the DEI and LGBTQ spaces, as well as the overall inclusivity of Hood River as a travel destination.

“I have been fortunate to work with so many wonderful people these past five years, to support the businesses that make Hood River so charming and unique, and to promote a special community that I am proud to call home,” said Kadlub. “I don’t know what the next chapter holds for me, but my time at Visit Hood River and the Hood River County Chamber of Commerce will always hold a special place in my heart.”

About the Hood River County Chamber of Commerce and Visit Hood River:

Located at the crossroads of the spectacular Columbia River Gorge National Scenic Area and the magnificent Cascade Range and just an hour from Portland, Hood River offers outdoor recreation, dramatic vistas, historic landmarks, bountiful fruit, and fantastic food, wine, beer, and cider. With accommodations ranging from luxury hotels to historic B&Bs, Hood River is a four-season destination for families, outdoor enthusiasts, weddings, corporate events, and more. It was named a Best Adventure and Explorations Town by the 2023 Sunset Travel Awards and Nature Lovers Destination in the 2022 Sunset Travel Awards, a Top 10 Wine Destination for 2017 by Wine Enthusiast Magazine, and 2015 Best Adventure Town in the West by Sunset magazine. Visit Hood River supports economic development, community development, and destination marketing for Hood River, Cascade Locks, Mosier, Odell, Parkdale, Pine Grove, and Mount Hood. For more information, call 800-366-3530 or visit www.visithoodriver.com.