Eliza Mathew

 

As Senior Director of Community Development, Eliza stewards Duke’s decades-long work in affordable housing and advances strengthening its relationships with neighbors, including the Duke-Durham Neighborhood Partnership. Eliza leads the Affordable Housing Council, oversees Duke Homebuyers Club, and serves as a connector, convener, and strategist championing collective and cross-sector collaboration.

 

Eliza has served as Duke’s representative on Durham’s Homeless Services Advisory Committee (HSAC) since 2020 and co-chairs its Policy and Planning Committee. She chaired a subcommittee of the 2024-25 Joint Durham City, County, and Public Schools Housing Task Force and currently sits on the Advisory Committee for the Strategic Plan to End Homelessness.

Eliza is also a proud Durham Public Schools (DPS) alum. Roll Pirates Roll! She went on to graduate from Elon University with a degree in Elementary Education and taught in DPS for several years before joining DCA. As a double DPSer, Eliza can point to formative experiences that ground her values around connection and engagement. She serves on the DPS Foundation board as an opportunity to continue intertwining her thread into this DPS legacy.