Our Staff
Eva Bell
Monroe County & Moms Organizer
eva@hoosieraction.org
626-391-5480
Eva organizes Hoosiers in Monroe county and moms across the state. She does this work because she wants to ensure that Indiana is a state where families can thrive. In her free time, she likes to paint and garden with her kids.
Tasha Coppinger
Organizing Director
tasha@hoosieraction.org
740-274-5444
Tasha is a national leader in rural organizing and has conducted training and convening with rural organizations across the country. She is the Organizing Director at Hoosier Action where she works on campaign and program development. She also organizes Morgan county and on Environmental Justice issue statewide. Tasha is adventure prone, plays a mean game of charades and can almost always get down with a game of kickball.
Kate Hess Pace
Executive Director
kate@hoosieraction.org
612-655-0203
Kate founded Hoosier Action in 2017 as an organization that would serve its members and fight to improve the lives of working families in Indiana. She has worked in organizing and advocacy for the past 20 years, developing the leadership of people who have been left out of public decision making, including passing stone foreclosure protection legislation in Minnesota and working with the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau to create the first federal rules on predatory lending. Kate is a national trainer, leading workshops and trainings for community leaders across the country. A seventh generation Hoosier, Kate is a fierce evangelist for the stunning beauty of Southern Indiana and a deep believer in the strength of our people. She lives in New Albany where she enjoys walking her dog along the Ohio River, working on home projects, and trying new recipes.
Michelle Higgs
Membership Engagement Director
michelle@hoosieraction.org
Michelle has been a member of Hoosier Action since 2017 and brings over 25 years experience in both the private and non-profit sectors. She most recently transitioned from operations to lead statewide member engagement for Hoosier Action. When not engaging members and staff to build a better Indiana, she can usually be found enjoying a good book, creating music on her piano or contemplating life under a canopy of trees.
Tracey Hutchings- Goetz
Communications & Policy Director
tracey@hoosieraction.org
847-650-298
Tracey brings to Hoosier Action three years of experience as a campus and Healthcare Organizer. In 2020, after completing her PhD in English Literature, she became Hoosier Action’s Communications and Policy Director. She loves small-town life, enjoys gardening, and hanging out with her cat in her free time.
Nate Magnan
Technology & Data Manager
tech@hoosieraction.org
Nate is Hoosier Action’s Technology & Data Manager. He brings to his role 10 years of technology industry experience, a love of problem solving, and a passion for collective action. When not at his computer he can be found hiking, on his bicycle, or playing board games.
Maria McGary
Operations Director
operations@hoosieraction.org
With a background in development, operations, marketing and community relations in the for-profit and non-profit sectors, Maria joined Hoosier Action in 2021 as Director of Operations. She loves the collaborative nature of the work and the opportunity to work towards a better future alongside committed and passionate employees and volunteers.
Laxmi Palde
Johnson County Organizer
laxmi@hoosieraction.org
317-985-8448
Laxmi joined Hoosier Action as a member in 2019 and joined staff as a Community Organizer in August 2020. She organizes young people and people of color to tap into their vision for the world they want to live in, and to become leaders in the work towards a brighter future. She grew up both in India and Indiana, and has been a Hoosier for most of her life. In her free time, she enjoys catching rays, taking long walks, and finding new music.
Will Stauffer
Floyd & Clark County Organizer
will@hoosieraction.org
260-446-2231
Will organizes Hoosiers in the Ohio River Valley (Floyd, Scott and Clark counties) and leads Hoosier Action’s overdose crisis work. He started full-time in August of 2019, but was a member before then. Will does this work because he believes that every Hoosier deserves to live a life full of dignity and meaning. When he’s not organizing, he loves watching and playing basketball, riding his bike, and spending time with his friends.
Stephanie Zhang
Bartholomew County Organizer
stephanie@hoosieraction.org
317-919-4638
Stephanie organizes in Bartholomew County and leads Hoosier Action’s housing fight. She joined Hoosier Action as a member in 2019, and joined staff as an organizer in 2020. Stephanie is the proud child of immigrants and a born-and-raised Hoosier. She loves Indiana and is deeply driven to dismantle the systems and lies that keep us becoming the people we’re meant to be. Outside of organizing, she has a passion for music, food, and thrifting, and she sincerely believes the best chef in the world is her grandma.