Hoofer Council
Hoofers Council is composed of the Council President, four Vice Presidents, five Officers, and each of the six Club Presidents. Together, these individuals help make Hoofers the coolest club on campus!
Council President
Julia Pletta
Hello! My name is Julia Pletta, and I’m your Hoofer Council President for 2021-2022. I’m a senior studying Finance, Investment & Banking and International Business. I can’t imagine my time here at UW-Madison without Hoofers; through this club I’ve learned to sail on Lake Mendota, skied out in Colorado, learned to ice climb, led backpacking trips, and whitewater kayaked through class II rapids up north. In this position I work with the vice presidents, officers, and club presidents below as well as the student leaders of the Wisconsin Union Directorate to support and grow all of Hoofers. I’m so excited to get out on the water and on the trails with our amazing Hoofer Clubs as programming starts back up again! Please don’t hesitate to reach out to me with any questions by email at president@hoofers.org or to say hi if you see me eating ice cream on the Terrace, trying out the V3s in Boulders downtown, or paddling a kayak on the lake!
Vice President - Administration
Annie Stimmel
Hi! My name is Annie Stimmel and I will be your VP-Admin for the 2020-2021 school year. I am in my last year at Madison studying Communication Arts and Environmental Studies. I have enjoyed being a member of the Outing Club in previous years, and am looking forward to being a part of Council. In my free time I enjoy hiking, skiing, peakin' mountains & laying in the sun.
Vice President - Finance
Grace Thomas
Hey everyone! My name is Grace Thomas and I’ll be your VP-Finance for the 2021-2022 school year. I am a junior studying Finance and Accounting in the Business School. I have been a part of Ski and Snowboard club as well as the Alpine race team for two years now and I have loved every minute of it! I look forward to being on council this year and getting more involved in all of the other Hoofer clubs.
Vice President - Information Systems
Alec Hering
Hey everyone! My name is Alec Hering and I'm a junior majoring in Computer Science. I'm super excited to be taking the role of VP Infosystems this year! I love spending time with friends, playing video games and especially skiing. I'm also a member of the ski and snowboard club and have spent most of my time in hoofers with this organization. Reach out if you have any questions!
Vice President - Marketing
Michael McLaughlin
My name is Michael McLaughlin and I am a Junior studying Consumer and Retail Behavior with a Certificate in Business from Milwaukee, WI. I started my journey in the outdoor community through my involvement with Camp Manito-Wish YMCA. At camp, I was a participant for seven years, concluding with a 30-day backpacking trip in Montana. From there I became a canoe leader for Manito-Wish and fell in love with the idea of teaching others how to enjoy camping trips. Upon my arrival at Madison, I joined the Alpine Ski Team which introduced me to Hoofers. Since then, Hoofers has been a crucial piece to my college experience. For council, I run all things marketing!
Officer - Alumni Outreach
Will Husted
Hey everyone! My name is Will Husted and I am the VP-Alumni Outreach this year. I’m a senior from Gaithersburg, Maryland majoring in Journalism, Political Science, and Education Policy. My passion for connecting folks to the outdoors stems from the unique experience of feeling a part of and knowledgable about your surroundings. I enjoy hiking up mountains, rollerblading around Madison, hammocking, caring too much about basketball, and making some pretty great cheesecake. If you’re ever looking to connect feel free to use the email below!
Officer - Diversity and Inclusion
Isabel Peterson
Hello! My name is Isabel Peterson and I will be the Officer of Diversity and Inclusion for 2021-2022. I am a senior from Minneapolis studying economics, political science, and environmental studies. I was the Officer of Programs last year and I am excited to continue to be a part of council! In my position as Officer of Diversity and Inclusion I will be the head of Hoofer Ambassadors, which is the programming arm dedicated to making the outdoors more accessible to all! Hoofer Ambassadors is welcome to everyone so I hope to you see you at one of our meetings or events :)
Learn more about Hoofer's Ambassadors!
Officer - Education and Risk Management
Ella Gustafson
Hello! I’m Ella and I’m the Officer of Education and Risk Management for the 2021-2022 school year. I believe that Hoofers is a place where people with all levels of experience in the outdoors can come together and enjoy the beauty and the challenge of recreation. I’m looking forward to helping our membership develop their risk management skills to make sure that we provide a safe environment for outdoor recreation! I will be a Senior at UW this year and I also work in the OUW Office. When I’m not sending folks out on a kayaking adventure or working on homework, you can find me running around Madison, climbing (falling) at Boulders, or sitting on my porch with a good book. Feel free to reach out to me with anything Education/Risk Management related or if you just want to chat!
Officer - Programs
Isabel Peterson
In my mind, Hoofers stands apart from other clubs on campus because it draws membership not based on career ambitions or major choice, but on what people are passionate about in their day to day life. I believe that it is for this reason that some of the best friendships can be made through Hoofers clubs and trips. Going into my position as Officer of Programs, I am excited to be more involved in the great community that Hoofers has to offer, while also bringing my past leadership and club experiences to the table to further the Hoofers mission.
Club President - Mountaineering
Peter Matthews
Hi there 👋! I'm Peter Matthews and I'm going into my fourth year studying Computer Science, Math, and Physics. I joined Mountaineering my freshman year and have been climbing for four years now. I consider myself to be two parts gumby gym rat and one part trad dad. I started climbing in high school at Adventure Rock in Brookfield, WI. Since then, I've climbed in Yosemite, Red River Gorge, Jackson Falls, and all over Wisconsin. In my mind, there's nothing cooler than walking up to a huge rock face with only climbing gear and ending the day on its summit. Nowadays, I climb mostly at downtown Boulders and find every excuse I can to get to Devil's Lake. If you see me around campus or at the climbing gym, don't be a stranger! Also, if you're looking to learn more about climbing in Madison or Mountaineering Club, don't hesitate to shoot me an email!
Club President - Outing
Forrest Aherns
- Hello everyone! My name is Forrest Ahrens and I'm the Outing Club President this year. I'm a senior studying Mechanical Engineering and I'm so excited to meet everyone after a year of being cooped up inside.I'm originally from St. Paul, MN so I've grown up paddling on the Mississippi River and in the Boundary Waters as well as hiking in the North Woods of Minnesota near lake Superior. I've been a part of Outing Club for the last three years and have met many of my best friends there. I can't wait for you all to be part of our community and go on new adventures together!
Club President - Riding
Chloe Roberts
Hello! My name is Chloe Roberts, and I am your Hoofer Riding President for 2021-2022. I am a junior studying Political Science and Classical Humanities. I have been a part of the equestrian team and hoofer riding club the past two years and can’t wait to be a part of it for the next two! I look forward to leading the riding club this year!
Club President (Commodore) - Sailing
Austin Suvari
My name is Austin Suvari, and I am the Commodore of the Hoofer Sailing Club! I'm a Junior studying Mechanical Engineering. I am a member of the UW Madison Sailing Team as well. Growing up next the Lake Michigan, in Evanston IL, I’ve always been drawn to the water. Whether it was sailing, swimming, or playing water polo, you could not keep me out of the water. I learned to sail at a sleep away camp when I was nine and have been infatuated with the sport since. I’m eager to serve as commodore for the club this semester and look forward to meeting all of you. Please do not hesitate to reach out with questions!
Club President - Scuba
Grace Roper
Hi everyone! My name is Grace Roper, and I am the Hoofers Scuba President for this year. I am a junior majoring in Environmental Science and Life Science Communications. While I've only been scuba certified for one year, I instantly fell in love with diving and have dove all over the country. I'm passionate about diving and really excited to lead this amazing club, so I can share the amazing experience of diving with others! Please do not hesitate to reach out with questions or for more information!
Club President - Ski and Snowboard
Isabel Ullrich
Hi everyone! My name is Isabel Ullrich and I am your SNS President this year. I am a senior studying strategic communications and environmental studies, and I am from Milwaukee, WI. I have been skiing since I was just three years old, and I have been on the Wisconsin Alpine team and SNS for three years. I am so excited to be leading such an awesome group of people and to be part of the Hoofers Club as it has been one of the most important parts of my college experience. I can't wait to meet everyone at events and on the mountain! Please feel free to reach out to me for any questions or ideas!