Our Staff

Following a 15-year career as a real estate attorney, Jen transitioned to nonprofit leadership after playing a key role in her community’s recovery from the 2017 wildfires. She became the founding Executive Director of Generation Housing, where she leads efforts to expand housing opportunities and improve quality of life across the North Bay.

Jen served two terms on the Santa Rosa City Schools Board of Education, including three years as board president. She was at the helm during one of the most challenging chapters in the city’s history, providing steady leadership as the district navigated post-fire recovery and deep community trauma. Under her leadership, the district joined the city of Santa Rosa in lowering fees to spur post-fire development in Downtown Santa Rosa and established a fund for staff downpayment assistance.

She also co-chaired SoCo Rises, a grassroots disaster recovery coalition, and was part of the Measure N housing bond steering committee.

Jen has witnessed firsthand the transformative impact of housing. She believes safe, stable housing is a critical local climate action strategy and the most powerful lever for improving educational outcomes, public health, and economic vitality. At Generation Housing, she is committed to moving the needle on housing development to benefit all North Bay residents.

In her free time, Jen enjoys cycling and spending time with her family, friends, and two dogs, CocoaBean and LuluBelle.

Stephanie Picard Bowen brings over a decade of nonprofit experience to her role as Deputy Director of Generation Housing. Previously, she served as a Project Manager at a general contracting firm in Sonoma County, overseeing home reconstruction projects for wildfire survivors.

Stephanie is deeply committed to housing advocacy because she understands the profound impact stable and affordable housing has on individuals and families. Accessible housing not only provides shelter but also contributes to improved health outcomes, educational opportunities, and overall community well-being. In her role as Deputy Director, she is dedicated to advancing policies and initiatives that promote equitable access to safe and affordable housing for all.

Based in Santa Rosa, Stephanie resides just minutes from her childhood home with her husband, a visual effects artist, and their blended family of two children. They cherish family time by cooking, baking treats for loved ones, and diving into good books together.

Joshua comes to Generation Housing with community-based, academic, and policy experience working to understand how each generation defines what equity looks like for them. After helping to identify solutions to the growing racial wealth gap and home financialization trends shaping communities like West Oakland prior to 2010, Joshua completed his PhD in Political Science at the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor in 2018. There he focused on American politics, race, and equity policy, contributing to survey and quantitative research on American attitudes shaping policies on wealth, taxation, and education. Applying those insights to politics and policy, Joshua taught political science courses in the Midwest while working to reform state funding for affordable housing with Wisconsin State Assemblywoman Francesca Hong.

Now having returned to the Bay Area, he has most recently served as the Director of Data & Grants at the Committee on the Shelterless where he helped support evidence-based, housing-first solutions to homelessness in Sonoma County including through Project Homekey and CalAIM.

Omar Lopez is a second year business administration student at the Santa Rosa Junior College. He has been living in Santa Rosa since 2013 after moving from Mendocino County. He first joined Generation Housing as part of a partnership with Latino Service Providers.

Omar is an energetic member of the community. He previously served on the Santa Rosa City Schools Board of Education as the Student Board Member for the scholastic year 2020-21. He has spent years building relationships with the community and its leaders across the board.

He has seen firsthand the effects that our housing crisis has had on family members and friends in the community. He understands the reality many families in our community are going through and sees the ongoing effects that the housing crisis is having on younger generations.

Omar enjoys spending time with friends and family. He has a small Lego collection which he continues growing. He is an earnest fan of Taylor Swift, owning all of her albums alongside multiple signed copies and other merchandise. He loves cooking and baking, taking special pride in his Pasta Primavera – his favorite dish to cook and eat.

Born and raised in Sonoma County, Sonia is the newest addition to the Generation Housing team, bringing her experience, connections, and passion for positive change.

During her 27-year career in wine industry management, Sonia honed her skills in relationship building, leadership, and collaboration. Motivated by a deep-rooted desire to make a meaningful impact, she transitioned into the nonprofit sector, using her talents to support disadvantaged communities. Prior to joining Generation Housing, Sonia supported at-risk youth through corporate partnerships and fundraising events at Social Advocates for Youth.

Sonia enjoys being active in her local community and has served on many boards, including the Russian River Wine Road, Sebastopol Chamber of Commerce, Russian River Winegrowers, and the Sonoma County Hospitality Association. Sonia currently serves on the Sonoma County Tourism Community Engagement Committee and the Roseland Library Steering Committee.

Armed with natural enthusiasm and dedication to making a difference, Sonia is ready to use her passion to support expanding housing opportunities throughout Sonoma County.