Our Staff:
John Gilbert
JOHN GILBERT
John graduated from the University of Pennsylvania with a BS in International Relations in 1988. After working in Cape Town for an architecture firm and in London for an entrepreneurial property development company, John returned to New York. He graduated from Columbia University with a MS in Real Estate Development in 1991.
John moved to Bend in 1996, and within 2 years started Acadia Properties. In 2005, he founded Pacific Crest Affordable Housing with Rob Roy. Over the past 25 years as owner of Acadia Properties and co-owner of Pacific Crest, John has developed multiple mixed-use and high-density residential infill projects around Central Oregon.
Additionally, John served on the City of Bend Planning Commission from 1997 through 2003, during which time he worked with the Commission to update the City’s Comprehensive Plan, which has guided the City’s development code ever since. Now John serves on the board of Building a Better Bend and has been a decades-long member of both the Urban Land Institute and the Congress for New Urbanism.
ROB ROY - CO-OPERATING MANAGER
Rob is one of the founding partners of Pacific Crest Affordable Housing and has co-managed the company since it was created in 2005. He has 22 years of experience in construction and real estate development in Oregon, on top of 10 years previous experience in the field in Canada.
Rob brings extensive experience with all facets of building and development, from financing and construction to planning, land use, and more. His strengths include navigating complex public-private partnerships involving multiple agencies and organizations which requires collaboration, negotiation, and strong professional relationships. Through ongoing research, experimentation, and professional development, Rob has pushed the green building envelope with Pacific Crest by building some of the most energy efficient affordable multi-family buildings in the nation.
In addition, Rob is a 3-time Olympic snowboarding coach, representing both the USA and Canada, who has trained and mentored athletes at the highest levels of their sport, two of them earning Olympic medals.
KATY BOWLES - OPERATIONS MANAGER
Katy Bowles is a native Oregonian and a graduate of Oregon State University. She began her career working for R&H Construction in Portland and relocated to Bend when R&H opened its Bend office. An interest in alternative energy led Katy to IdaTech where she served as Marketing Communications Manager, overseeing the start-up company’s development and implementation of a cohesive marketing presence in an international market. Seeking a change of pace after starting a family, Katy stepped back to focus her time on volunteering in her kids’ schools before jumping back into her career by joining the team at Pacific Crest where she plays a key role in its efforts to provide affordable housing in Central Oregon.
BEN BERGANTZ - SPECIAL PROJECTS COORDINATOR & RESIDENT SERVICES MANAGER
Ben joined Pacific Crest in 2016. He supports the company’s overall mission in multiple roles, working closely with property management and partner organizations to develop and implement sustainability initiatives, grant opportunities, resident service partnerships, and special projects. Originally from Buffalo, NY, Ben earned his undergraduate degree at Brown University and a Master’s degree from Oregon State University, Cascades.
MELISSA SCHULTZ - KEEPER OF THE BOOKS
After graduating from the University of Rhode Island with a Bachelor’s degree in Business Management in 2000, Melissa wasn’t quite ready to define her career, but she was ready for adventure! Looking to make a positive contribution to a new community, she signed up for a year of volunteer work through the AmeriCorps VISTA program in Bend, Oregon.
After completing her volunteer commitment, Melissa decided to stay in Oregon and make Bend home. She began bookkeeping for her now-husband's landscape company, and unbeknownst to her at the time, Melissa’s career had begun!
Now, 13 years later, she is a QuickBooks Pro Advisor and manages the books for her and husbands’ landscape company, for their nursery/garden center, and for several clients. Pacific Crest Affordable Housing was her first bookkeeping client outside of the family companies. Melissa is grateful for the past five years with such an upstanding organization and dedicated office staff (aw shucks, Melissa, we love you too!)