Meet Our Staff

Jacob, a Western New York native, grew up on a dairy farm before heading south to Mississippi for a while after college. He’s called Tulsa home for over 18 years now. With a degree in Physics and a master’s in Christian education, Jacob has dedicated the last 20 years to working in nonprofits—mostly at camps and conference centers. Over the years, he’s worn many hats, including science teacher, program director, and executive director.

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Jacob’s personal life has shaped his journey as much as his career. In 2015, he faced a significant medical crisis when his wife was diagnosed with lung cancer and passed away. Since then, he has remarried a wonderful woman, and together they’re raising a beautiful family. He has two boys from his late wife, a little girl with his wife now, and another baby on the way!

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Jacob feels that God has perfectly blended his nonprofit experience with his personal story, leading him to Hospitality House.

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When he’s not busy at work, Jacob loves spending time with his wife and kids, diving into a good book, or working on furniture projects in his garage whenever he gets the chance.

A Broken Arrow native, Elise graduated from Oklahoma State University with a degree in Hotel and Restaurant Administration before starting her hospitality career in hotels in Tulsa in 2013. She has held several different positions in hotel operations and hotel sales before joining the HHT staff in March 2020.

In her spare time, Elise enjoys spending time with her friends, being a dog mom to her rescue dog, Dixie, and serving at her church, Life.Church Jenks.

A medical crisis first brought Sommer to Hospitality House, as a guest in 2016. The excellent care and compassion she received while a guest prompted her to come back and volunteer. In October 2017 Sommer became a permanent fixture at Hospitality House and joined the staff full-time. Sommer’s experience of being a guest at Hospitality House uniquely equips her to deliver the care most needed by our guests. When guests check-in with Sommer they experience kindness and compassion by someone who truly understands what they are going through. Sommer always has a pot of coffee on in the Welcome Center and a listening ear available for guests who need to talk.

When Sommer is not serving families she enjoys working in her garden, tending to her butterflies or traveling the open road with her husband.

Originally from Purcell, OK, Kelsey moved to the Tulsa area in 2017. She received a degree in Communication Sciences and Disorders from the University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center. In previous experiences, she worked in non-profit case management and as a Job Coach for people with disabilities. She came to Hospitality House desiring to grow spiritually in the Biblical gift of hospitality and to learn more about caring for others in a new way.

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In her free time, Kelsey loves reading novels, taking walks, and spending time with her husband, Caleb. They enjoy board game nights with friends, hanging out with their families, and movie nights at home.

Rhonda is originally from Hugo, Oklahoma and has lived in Tulsa since 1997. She is a proud member of the Choctaw/Creek Nation. She has 4 children and 9 grandchildren. She enjoys spending time with her family, and outdoor activities such as riding bikes, flying kites, fishing, and playing with bubbles. She is always willing to help people and radiates kindness to those around her.

Originally from Oologah, Oklahoma, Raylee graduated from Oklahoma State University with her degree in Strategic Communications in 2024. While attending school, she was a proud "Cowboy Caller" at The OSU Foundation. With her education, fundraising experience, and passion to serve God and others, she was thrilled to begin her career at Hospitality House of Tulsa one week after graduation. 

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In her free time, Raylee loves to spend time with her soon-to-be husband, hang out with her family and friends, and dive into a good book. 

Tiertia grew up in Kansas and Missouri. After graduating from Southwest Baptist University with Bachelors in Communications and English, she moved to Oklahoma. She then spent three decades working at the Housing Authority as a caseworker, then manager, and finally as an auditor in quality control and compliance. 

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Upon retiring, Tiertia was able to be more involved with volunteer activities. She loves to serve in any way to assist various ministries. So, when the opportunity arrived to work at Hospitality House of Tulsa, she eagerly accepted. 

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She has always been passionate about drama and singing. She is always ready to use any talent she has. She spends much of her free time reading and learning, and is especially passionate about apologetics and biblical history. Also in her free time, she has developed a love for gardening (although she was never known to have a green thumb). Strangely, she grows peppers -which she dislikes- but gives them away along with most of the other produce.

A native Kansas girl, Ginelle has made Oklahoma her home since 2004. Her degrees in music and counselor education led her to a career in higher education. For more than 25 years, Ginelle served in both student affairs and academic affairs, beginning as an office assistant, serving as an academic advisor/educational specialist, and as director for federal TRIO grant programs. Most recently she served as an operations manager for the Performing Arts Center for Education at Tulsa Community College, where she was able to combine her love of music and experience in education administration to serve the college and Tulsa communities. Ginelle is excited to follow God’s path for her to Hospitality House where she can use her past experiences to serve staff and guest families through Biblical hospitality.

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Outside of serving Hospitality House, Ginelle enjoys serving her local church in the worship ministry, singing, teaching children Biblically sound hymns, and leading a youth small group. She and her husband love to cook together and spend time with the family dogs and care for their small acreage of land.