WHRC Team Members
Denise Rodriguez
Executive Director
Denise joined WHRC as its first Deputy Director in April 2015, was named Interim Executive Director in January 2019, and became Executive Director on February 1, 2019. Denise also served as a WHRC board member from 2012 to 2015.
For over fifteen years, she has been involved in financial empowerment and stability work as a financial educator and asset-building leader. In her previous roles, she has served as the Director of Operations for the Washington Low Income Housing Alliance, Program Manager for Bank On Washington, and Community Outreach Director for Apprisen Financial Advocates. Read More
Elizabeth Perez
Deputy Director
Elizabeth joined WHRC as Deputy Director in 2022.
Elizabeth grew up in a low-income household, wherein homeownership provided stability for her family and was key to lifting them out of poverty. Elizabeth spent the first several chapters of her career as an educator and administrator supporting communities underserved by K-12 and higher education. Read More
Kari Jennings
Information and Referral Specialist
Kari has been an Information and Referral Specialist at the Washington Homeownership Resource Center since June 2021.
Before joining WHRC, she worked for Snohomish County Government in the Energy Assistance program and as a Community Outreach Counselor for Volunteers of America. Her background includes Administrative Support and Customer Service.
In her spare time, she enjoys hiking with her dog and relaxing with family and friends.
Leysy Martinez
Information and Referral Specialist
Leysy is an Information and Referral Specialist at Washington Homeownership Resource Center. She has a background in Administrative and Property Management.
Her past roles include managing manufactured home communities where she grew a passion for assisting people in need.
In her spare time, she enjoys spending time with her family and 2 dogs Oreo and Bear, hiking, and taking short road trips.
Susanna M.
Lead Information and Referral Specialist
Susanna is the Lead Information and Referral Specialist at the Washington Homeownership Resource Center.
Susanna has a master’s degree in organizational leadership from Gonzaga University and a bachelor’s degree from the University of Washington. Susanna has been with the Washington Homeownership Resource Center since 2012.
When she is not helping homeowners, she enjoys spending time with her daughter, Lily, and their dogs Echo and Oreo.
Daniel Webster
Information and Referral Specialist
Daniel is an Information and Referral Specialist at the Washington Homeownership Resource Center.
He has a strong background in the real estate industry with experience in title insurance, escrow, and appraisal. Over the years, he has developed a passion for continually improving his knowledge and skills in these areas.
Before joining WHRC, Dan worked with Greenfield Advisors in Seattle, where he played an instrumental role in their complex real estate and economic projects. During his time there, he became familiar with housing counseling, which led him to become a certified HUD housing counselor, igniting his passion to assist others facing homeownership difficulties. Read More
Evelin Martinez
Equity in Homeownership Coordinator
Evelin Martinez is the Equity in Homeownership Coordinator at the Washington Homeownership Resource Center. She has previously worked with Habitat for Humanity as a Family Support Coordinator, where she managed over 60 families.
In her current role at WHRC, Evelin provides outreach to BIPOC homebuyers where she leads various work groups in partnership with Black Home Initiative (BHI) and assists with the development of the WHRC online portal. As Equity in Homeownership Coordinator, she is also dedicated to fostering and building relationships with current and new partners, focusing closely on lending and realty partners. Read More
Raquel Munguia
Program and Partnerships Coordinator
Raquel is the Program and Partnerships Coordinator at the Washington Homeownership Resource Center.
She has earned undergraduate degrees in Liberal Arts and Social Science and a bachelor’s degree in Sociology from Washington State University.
She started working in the housing industry as a property manager for Conventional, Tax-Credit, and Affordable Housing units. She then shifted towards working with the Housing Authority and gained knowledge of the HUD Housing Choice Voucher (HCV) and Public Housing Programs. Read More
Kristen Patterson
Operations Coordinator
Kristen is the Operations Coordinator at the Washington Homeownership Resource Center and has worked at the organization for almost ten years.
Kristen received her bachelor’s degree in media studies from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and a degree in Paralegal Studies from Southern Illinois University-Carbondale. Read More