Our Staff
Kathryn Witherington - Executive Director
With over a decade of experience in community development and nonprofit management, Kathryn has dedicated her career to creating vibrant and inclusive spaces. She has a Bachelor's Degree in English and Political Science from Gonzaga University and is currently pursuing her Masters of Professional Studies in Community & Economic Development from Pennsylvania State University. Prior to the joining Common Roots, Kathryn worked as the Executive Director of the Downtown Walla Walla Foundation and as the Economic Development Director for the Port of Columbia in Dayton, WA.
Our Board of Directors
Nancy Riggle - Board Co-Chair
Nancy is the Executive Director of Valley Residential Services (VRS), a large nonprofit organization operating in Walla Walla and Columbia Counties. She has worked in housing services in this region since 1978. Nancy’s favorite part of her job at VRS is working with Washington’s Department of Children, Youth, and Families. Her clientele at VRS earns very low incomes and VRS staff earns low incomes. Through her work, Nancy has seen the difference safe secure homes make in people’s lives. She became a Common Roots founding board member after participating in Community Council’s Affordable Housing Study. From the study, Nancy saw that we have an affordable housing crisis, so she wanted to put her money where her mouth was. She has served on several of Community Council’s Affordable Housing Implementation Task Force’s sub-committees in addition to Common Roots’ board of directors. A foster mom for 14 years, Nancy now has 13 adult children who call her “Mom,” and 27 grandchildren.
Wyatt Rolfe - Board Co-Chair
Wyatt was proudly raised in the Walla Walla Valley and has witnessed its dynamic changes over the last several decades. His support of Common Roots is driven by a belief that vibrant and successful communities must have affordable homes. Our housing crisis was recently exemplified in Wyatt’s neighborhood where a 1950 ranch-style home sold for $850,000. Through Common Roots, Wyatt hopes our community can provide affordable homes to the families and individuals that make our region special. In his professional life, Wyatt is a practicing attorney who focuses on estate planning, business law, elder law, and natural resources law.
Riley Clubb - Board Treasurer
Riley is the owner of Harvust, a developer of software for farms and farm workers. He is a former Walla Walla City Council member, and he has spent the last several years working on affordable housing policies and the creation of our region’s first community land trust.
Patricia Divine Wilder
Trish is a semi-retired technical and grant writer/editor. She has lived in Walla Walla most of her life and calls it home. In the past few years, however, Trish’s rent has increased to the point that she isn’t sure she can afford to stay here. When she heard about the plan to start a community land trust (CLT) in our region, she learned that this model could be an exciting solution for herself and others worried about their fast-rising rents. Trish and other board members have participated in multiple training sessions and have been guided through many tough decisions by seasoned CLT consultants. She appreciates that Common Roots Housing Trust will create permanently affordable homes in this region for those with low to moderate incomes and that Common Roots’ homeowners will be members of the organization and have a voice in its governance. Trish notes that there is so much to recommend about community land trusts that she is grateful to have the opportunity to help get our region’s first CLT started.
Mike Rizzitiello
Mike has served as the College Place City Administrator for six years, following two and a half years as the City Administrator in Colfax. He currently chairs the Walla Walla County Council on Housing. Mike’s main concern is the lack of affordable housing here, and what that is going to mean for the community in the long term. He finds it telling that as College Place's top city executive, he couldn’t afford to buy a home in the city until recently. Currently, it is hard to find staff for the city of College Place’s administrative jobs. His fear is that due to the lack of affordable homes here, our region’s main employers may move to the Tri-Cities to find workers there.
Terri Silvis
Dr. Silvis joined Horizon Project Inc. in May 2017 as CEO and brings over 30 years of experience in business and nonprofit administration, organizational management, executive leadership, finance and real estate. Prior to joining Horizon Project, Dr. Silvis worked as an affordable housing consultant for service agencies and housing authorities across Oregon and Washington and served as the Director of Housing for Catholic Charities of Oregon for over a decade. Horizon Project provides 24 Hour Residential Services, Supported Living, Employment Supports, and Community Living/Day Services for adults with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities in Umatilla County. With over 30 years working in the affordable housing arena, Dr. Silvis has overseen the capitalization, refinance or restructure of over 1,200 units of housing representing almost $230,000,000 in private and public funds. Horizon Project’s mission is to ensure that all projects developed provide integrated housing for individuals living with IDD and incorporate universal design to the maximum level feasible.
Andy Gomez
Andy Gomez is currently the Executive Director at the Walla Walla Valley Metropolitan Planning Organization. Andy has worked in the transportation planning field for morethan 25 years, in both the public and private sector reaching out to individuals of all ages and income levels and developing a vision of an integrated multimodal system that provide families with various travel opportunities.
Andy strongly believes that affordable housing isn’t just about bricks and mortar – it’s about building a more equitable and resilient future for all. It’s about preserving the vibrancy and diversity of our communities, empowering individuals to reach their full potential, and creating a community that works for everyone, regardless of their income level.
Amber Lynn Cope
Amber is an Outreach Worker at Blue Mountain Heart to Heart in Walla Walla. Amber loves being of service and advocating for those populations who are traditionally stigmatized and underserved. She has served on the Greater Columbia Behavioral Health Advisory Board for 2 years and on Washington State’s Substance Use and Recovery Services Advisory Committee for 3 years as the representation for Peer Support Specialists. In both cases she has been the only person serving from the Walla Walla area. Amber believes it's important to give a voice to our community at the regional and state levels. She is excited to help represent at Common Roots folks like herself, who work hard in this community, yet struggle to afford to live in it! She believes everyone deserves a safe, affordable place to call home.
Joy Marie Smith - Board Secretary
Joy is the past president of the Waitsburg Commercial Club Chamber of Commerce. She was one of the early advocates for Community Council’s Affordable Housing Study. In her Commercial Club role, Joy receives many inquiries about housing availability, particularly in relationship to employment or business recruitment. She sees how the lack of affordable homes can negatively impact Waitsburg’s economic growth. In February 2020, Waitsburg had a flood that displaced many of the city’s low-income residents. Working with the Waitsburg Flood Recovery Group, Joy realized that the reason so many people with low incomes were living in flood zones was because the only homes they could afford were there. She is committed to the process of creating permanently affordable homes in her community and throughout our region.
Rosendo Guizar
Rosendo is the Chief Credit Officer at Baker Boyer, where he is responsible for the Bank’s entire commercial and consumer lending portfolio. Guizar began his career with Baker Boyer Bank in 1996. During his 22 years at the Bank, he has worked in all facets of lending, ranging from operational to direct lending responsibilities in both the consumer and commercial areas. He has held positions as a Commercial Loan Assistant and Loan Officer, Business Advisor, culminating in his most recent role as a Credit Administrator. He is proud to call Walla Walla home and feels fortunate to have been able to raise his two daughters in Walla Walla’s great community. Rosendo enjoys giving back to the community through his involvement in various organizations. He has served as President of the Sunrise Rotary Club, Walla Walla Community Hospice Board President, member of the Workforce Development Council, and a member of the Walla Walla Community College Accounting Advisory Committee.
Roger Esparza
Esparza, born in Walla Walla, spent part of his childhood in Milton-Freewater, though he graduated from Walla Walla High School. He named his brokerage firm after what his grandfather, Angel Romero, called the Pacific Northwest. His grandfather traveled to the Pacific Northwest from the state of Zacatecas, Mexico for work. Grandpa Angel called this area “bella tierra” or beautiful land. Esparza’s commitment to the Walla Walla community is evident from his history of service. He is a former chairman of the Walla Walla Valley Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors. He has also served on the boards of the Downtown Walla Walla Foundation and Friends of Children of Walla Walla, where he was also a mentor to a child. Esparza was board chair of the Community Council for three years, and currently serves as the treasurer of the Walla Walla Association of Realtors. Volunteerism is a deep value in Esparza's life. He has been a youth baseball coach, a Junior Achievement instructor, a Walla Walla Fair & Frontier Days Rotary volunteer. He also volunteers for Habitat for Humanity building homes for families.