Our Board

Bruce Whiting

Bruce Whiting is a retired banker with nearly 45 years of experience in the financial services sector, the majority of it in community development. Bruce serves on the executive and finance committees of the HDC board of directors, as well as on the advisory board of HDC’s affiliated nonprofit CDFI lending agency, HDC Community Fund. He is board director and member of the finance committee of Our Just Future, an agency dedicated to providing shelter services, employment training, affordable housing, and related support services for lower-income individuals and families.

Bryant Abaricia (Secretary-Treasurer)
Principal and Director of Advisory Services, Cobalt, P.C.

Bryant Abaricia is a principal and the director of advisory services at Cobalt, P.C., an accounting and advisory firm serving real estate owners, investors, and managers. Bryant has held leadership positions at Cobalt since joining the firm, in 2016, and focuses on helping clients to make tangible business improvements and to develop their strategies and goals. Previously, Bryant worked in venture capital bookkeeping and consulting as the founder of a cloud-based accounting solutions firm and an IT consulting business. Bryant holds a B.A. in accounting and business/management from Portland State University and is a licensed tax consultant.

Mercedes Elizalde
Director of Advocacy, Latino Network

Mercedes Elizalde works at the intersection of direct service and public policy, combining her passions for community empowerment and addressing root causes of social issues. As director of advocacy at Latino Network, Mercedes leads a team focused on developing leadership within the Latinx community and advocating for the community’s rights and wellbeing. Previously, Mercedes worked as director of public policy at Central City Concern and as policy and engagement strategist for Seattle Councilmember Debora Juarez. Mercedes serves as board president for Northwest Instituto Latino.

Ramsay Weit (Vice Chair)

Ramsay Weit has nearly 40 years of experience working on affordable housing issues as a Legal Aid attorney, a public policy advisor and staff to local elected officials, and the executive director of the Community Housing Fund (CHF). Ramsay retired in 2015 from the CHF, where for 12 years he operated a CDFI revolving loan fund, providing below-market financing to nonprofit community development corporations producing new rental and homeownership opportunities in Washington County. He also partnered with local governments throughout the county to identify new resources and public policies to increase the supply of affordable housing. Ramsay worked as chief of staff to Multnomah County Commissioner Diane Linn (1998 – 2000); as commissioner’s assistant to Portland Mayor Vera Katz (1993 – 1995); and as chief of staff to Portland City Commissioner Gretchen Kafoury (1991 – 1993). A graduate of Georgetown University Law Center, Ramsay was a practicing attorney with Multnomah County Legal Aid Service from 1975 to 1986. In addition to his law degree, he holds a bachelor’s in political science/economics from Williams College.

Sam Diaz
Executive Director, 1000 Friends of Oregon

Sam Diaz serves as executive director of 1000 Friends of Oregon, the state’s watchdog group that works with Oregonians to create vibrant, inclusive, connected cities, towns, and main streets while safeguarding farms, forests, and watersheds. His work includes collaborating with communities to remove barriers to building affordable housing in all neighborhoods. Sam has worked for local and state elected officials in Oregon and California to advance land use decisions, transportation policies and projects, and housing availability and affordability policies and investments. He has also worked in philanthropy to develop, implement, and manage programs for a more sustainable and inclusive American West. Sam earned a J.D. and a certificate in energy, natural resources, and environmental law and policy from Lewis & Clark Law School and a B.A. from Colgate University with majors in anthropology, sociology, and geography.

Samuel D. Grosz
Attorney, Samuel David Law

Samuel D. Grosz is an attorney in Portland, Oregon, where he focuses on complex tax planning and controversy. He also advises on general business matters and entity formation. In addition to representing clients at his own legal firm since 2014, Samuel worked as an attorney with Legal Aid Services of Oregon from 2015 to 2019. Samuel holds a Master of Laws in taxation from Georgetown University Law Center (2014) and a J.D., with a business law concentration, from Seattle University School of Law (2013). He earned his bachelor’s degree in finance and marketing, with a minor in Russian language, at Portland State University. He is a board member of the United Mission to Nepal in Kathmandu, Nepal, and is an active member of the Oregon State Bar’s Tax Section.

Sarah Zahn (Chair)
Director of Development, Security Properties

Sarah Zahn is an experienced real estate development professional with a passion for projects that strengthen communities and improve the urban environment in which we live. As director of development at Security Properties, she focuses on new business and acquisition, as well as on management of predevelopment, construction, and project financing. Sarah has worked in real estate development for nearly 20 years. Prior to joining Security Properties, she was COO at Urban Development Partners; she has also worked for Gerding Edlen and Our Just Future, a Portland-based nonprofit where she oversaw development and management of a 700+-unit portfolio of affordable family housing. In addition to serving on the HDC board of directors, Sarah is the Vice Chair of the Portland/SW Washington Chapter of the Urban Land Institute. She is also the chair of Oregon Smart Growth.