Staff & Board

Eliza Wilson

Executive Director

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541-316-0129

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Eliza Wilson is a dedicated affordable housing advocate and strategic systems builder whose lifelong connection to Central Oregon informs every aspect of her work. Drawing from her own lived experience with youth homelessness, she has built a career focused on transforming housing and homelessness systems to be more equitable, responsive, and rooted in human dignity.

As Executive Director at Rooted Homes, Eliza leads initiatives to expand access to permanently affordable homeownership and support long-term housing stability for communities across Central Oregon. She plays a key role in aligning the organization’s mission with regional strategies and collaborative efforts that advance housing justice.

Eliza’s background includes extensive advocacy at the local, state, and national levels—working to shape policy, drive systems change and elevate community voices in decision-making processes.

She serves as Chair of Central Oregon’s Continuum of Care and is a board member of the Regional Housing Council. Guided by a deep belief in community-driven change, Eliza is committed to breaking cycles of poverty through equitable access to opportunity and safe, stable housing for all.

Griffin Gilbert

Real Estate Director

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541-316-0544

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Griffin brings over a decade of diverse experience to RootedHomes, having established a strong foundation in the construction industry. With a bachelor’s degree in Civil and Environmental Engineering from the University of Utah and a master’s degree in Architecture from the University of Oregon, where he specialized in sustainability, Griffin has honed his skills across multiple disciplines. His career includes experience in residential structural engineering and multifamily design in the Colorado mountains. His experiences have equipped him with exceptional design coordination skills and a keen sense of constructability and affordability. His passion for creating well-crafted, contextually appropriate buildings is complemented by his active lifestyle. When not immersed in work, Griffin enjoys exploring trails on foot, wheels, or skis with his family.

Cody Peden

Construction Project Manager

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541-550-7691

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Cody Comes to Rooted Homes with some 25 years of experience in Residential and
Commercial Construction. Mostly in and around Central Oregon, with a few side trips to build in
the Rocky Mountains, Hawaii, Mexico, and Alaska. As a native of Central Oregon, Cody has
been privileged to see and participate in the growth of our burgeoning community, with projects
ranging from single family homes to road work, apartment and commercial buildings, and
everything in between.
Cody feels blessed to have a role that allows him to help contribute to a positive, inclusive
community with the sustainable, permanently affordable housing that Rooted Homes is able to
provide through the Community Land Trust model, and proud to be at a point in his career
where it’s next to impossible to go through a day in Central Oregon without driving past, living
in, or driving on one of his past projects.

Patti Lawrence

Accounting Manager

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541-362-4688

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Patti’s experience includes ten years in public accounting, most recently as a Senior Manager in Deloitte’s Financial Advisory Group in New York. In that time, she worked on a wide range of engagements, including financial statement analysis, securities analysis, compliance, and valuation. Patti holds a BBA in Accounting from Southern Methodist University and is a Certified Public Accountant and Chartered Financial Analyst. Outside of work, you will most often find Patti cycling, swimming, and running with her husband as she trains for endurance triathlons.

Dulce Pelayo

Homeownership Program Coordinator

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​541-247-1244

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Dulce, originally from Baja California, Mexico, has called Central Oregon home since 1992. She earned a Bachelor of Science in Human Development and Family Sciences from Oregon State University-Cascades. As a dedicated mother of four, Dulce balances her professional and personal life with grace. In her free time, she enjoys reading, writing, salsa dancing, hiking, traveling— especially to warm beaches —and experimenting in the kitchen.

Dulce is passionate about empowering others and dedicated to helping Central Oregonians achieve the dream of homeownership. A milestone she believes lays the foundation for a healthier and more stable future. She is enthusiastic about guiding individuals through the homeownership process and is well-prepared to provide support to those whose primary language is Spanish.

Jasmine Wilder

Board President

Jasmine (she/her/hers), Is the Communications Director for School Board. She has a background in strategic communications, public relations, and marketing strategy. She is passionate about the continual transformation of the leadership structures across Central Oregon and is dedicated to building our capacity for equitable systems. She grew up in Central Oregon and loves our beautiful, increasingly diverse, and growing community. Jasmine serves on the executive board of Everychild Central Oregon, Strengthening Central Oregon PAC, and RootedHomes. She was recently nominated to be the chair of the Human Rights & Equity Commission for the City of Bend.  Jasmine earned an undergraduate degree in public relations, and she continued her education and received an advanced degree in global strategic communications at Georgetown University in 2019. Jasmine lives and works in Bend, and many in her large family are close by as well. She is currently a foster mom to three brilliant boys, ages 8, 6, and 5 months old.

Christa Summers

Board Member

Christa (she/her/hers), A human resources professional, offers expertise in evaluating and identifying business needs, building HR functions which enrich the employee experience, driving positive company culture, and improving organizational effectiveness. After working for 20 years in the tech industry in HR leadership roles, Christa transitioned to the hospitality industry and is currently the Director of Human Resources for Tetherow Resort. Throughout her 25 years as a Bend resident, she has enjoyed contributing to both the for-profit and non-profit sectors, volunteering her time in the community for several organizations, and having served on the executive board for the Humane Society of Central Oregon. A nature lover and native Oregonian, Christa also enjoys spending time exploring the trails, lakes, and forests with her husband, children and golden retriever.

Jenna Conrad

Board Member

class=“center"Jenna (she/her/hers), Found her way to Central Oregon while attending Oregon State University, where she graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Sociology. For the last 10 years she has been enjoying the sunny side of Oregon and calling this wonderful community Home. Jenna currently works in real estate and is co-founder of the Mountain Home Collective: a property consulting team driven by purpose and community. She believes it’s our responsibility to use our experience, talents, and passions to better the lives of those around us, which has led her to work with ​RootedHomes. When she is not working, you can find her outside and near the water with her one year old son, two year old daughter, and their two yellow labs.

Dana Madison

Board Member

Dana (she/her/hers), Holds a master’s degree in public policy and brings both lived and academic experience to her role on the RootedHomes board. Raised in Central Oregon, she is committed to helping the community remain a place where families can thrive. Dana currently works as an administrative assistant at First Presbyterian Church and serves on the board of Healthy Families of the High Desert. She is passionate about expanding access to permanently affordable homeownership and amplifying underrepresented voices in housing and community development. When she’s not working or volunteering, Dana enjoys spending time with her five children and staying engaged in Central Oregon’s civic life.