Five new members join Bellwether Housing’s board of directors
Bellwether Housing is pleased to announce the addition of five new members to the Board of Directors: Rhonda Banchero, Rebekah Bastian, Shelly Crocker, Peter Larsen and Peter Nitze. The Board provides leadership for carrying out Bellwether’s mission to create housing affordability so that people and communities thrive.
Rhonda Banchero Rhonda Banchero is an Advancement Director for Major Gifts at University of Washington. Prior to assuming that role she was a senior broker at Windermere Real Estate. She is also a seasonal commentator for Fox Sports Northwest and a former player for the Seattle Reign. Her family owns and operates a third-generation Rainier Valley business started more than 80 years ago -meat wholesaler, Mondo and Sons.
Rebekah Bastian
Rebekah Bastian is Vice President of Product at Zillow, driving the strategy and execution of product teams focusing on advertising, financial systems, and connecting real estate buyers with agents. Rebekah was one of Zillow's first employees, coming over from Microsoft in 2005, and has led the development of several areas of the site since its launch. Always searching for ways to connect her personal values to her technology career, Rebekah launched the Community Pillar program to help connect low income renters with affordable housing and serves on several local boards related to rising housing costs and homelessness. She has been recognized in the Puget Sound Business Journal 40 Under 40 and the Inman 33 People Changing the Real Estate Industry. Rebekah earned her Masters of Mechanical Engineering at UC Berkeley.
Shelly Crocker
Shelly Crocker is a Seattle business consultant with an emphasis on turnaround management and strategic advice to both for profit and nonprofit businesses. She has served on the board of many organizations including Building Changes, a systems change intermediary working to end homelessness. Previously, Shelly was President of the financial- literacy agency CENTS, and a director for Girls on the Run, DownHome Washington, Congregation Beth Shalom, and other organizations. Formerly, Shelly was the founding and managing partner of two law firms, Crocker Law Group and Resolve Legal PLLC, where she was recognized as one of the Top 50 Women Lawyers in Washington, and a frequently sought author and speaker. She has a J.D. Magna cum Laude from the University of Minnesota, and a Masters in philosophy and BA from the University of Washington. Peter Larsen
Peter Larsen is the Vice President of Amazon Logistics leading product management, business development, software development, and operations teams. Previously, Peter Larsen was the Vice President of product management and business development for Amazon Devices where he launched Kindle e-readers, Fire tablets, Fire TV, and the FreeTime Unlimited subscription service for kids. Peter and his team also launched the Dash Button and the Dash Replenishment Service. Earlier in his career, Peter received his MBA from Cornell and then moved to Silicon Valley where he worked at Apple and Liberate Technologies, an interactive TV start up that later went public. After Liberate, Peter moved to London where he became CEO of Enpocket, one of the first mobile advertising start-ups, which was sold to Nokia in 2007.
Peter Nitze Peter Nitze serves as the President & CEO of Nitze-Stagen & Co., a real estate investment and management firm. Nitze-Stagen’s vision is to build vibrant, sustainable communities in the greater Seattle area by improving the physical condition of properties and reimagining how they interact with the surrounding community. Peter has 25 years of experience in business management and the successful growth of early-stage companies. Before joining Nitze-Stagen & Co., Peter worked in operations and general management in small, medium and large companies producing high-speed machine tools, inertial guidance systems, optical interconnects, bioengineered compounds, and other high-tech products. Most recently he served as COO of Martek Biosciences where he played a leading role transitioning the company from an early-stage biotech venture into a mature business leading up to its sale to DSM in early 2011. Peter received his B.A. in Slavic Languages and Literature from Harvard and two Master's degrees in engineering from Stanford.
"All five of our newest Board members embody the spirit of community and bring talent, expertise and energy to the table. We are very fortunate to have them by our side as we continue to address the affordable housing crisis,” said Susan Boyd, CEO of Bellwether Housing.
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