Influential Women recognizes Gabriela Beatriz Peden for systems-focused leadership

Influential Women is spotlighting Gabriela Beatriz Peden, Executive Director of Better Together Central Oregon, for her work strengthening early learning, youth development and family well-being across the region. Her leadership centers on cross-sector collaboration, equitable access and community partnerships aimed at helping children and families thrive.

Why it matters: - Gabriela Beatriz Peden leads work that affects early learning, youth development and family well-being across Central Oregon. - Her approach focuses on the systems around children and families, not just on one program or service. - Better Together Central Oregon’s work targets school readiness and equitable access to opportunity for families facing systemic barriers.

What happened: - Influential Women recognized Gabriela Beatriz Peden and highlighted her leadership at Better Together Central Oregon. - Peden serves as executive director of the nonprofit, which works to strengthen the systems that support children, families and communities in the region. - Her role includes bringing educators, community organizations and family partners together around shared goals.

The details: - Peden began her nonprofit and education career in 2019 as a community program coordinator focused on early childhood initiatives. - She later became program director and then executive director in March 2024. - Her background includes an associate degree in early childhood education and a certificate in equity, diversity and inclusion. - She completed the Bend Chamber’s NextUp Leadership Program, a five-month cohort experience. - Peden is a member of StriveTogether. - She has focused on capacity building, grant writing and raising organizational visibility in the post-pandemic landscape. - Her fluency in Spanish supports her work with families and partners. - Better Together Central Oregon’s model emphasizes collective impact, shared leadership and community voice. - The organization’s work is aimed at building sustainable ecosystems where children, families and communities can thrive together.

Between the lines: - Peden is one of a small number of Latina executive directors in the region leading a non-culturally specific organization. - Her leadership style reflects a broader shift toward collaboration because no single organization can solve complex community challenges alone. - She sees the hardest work as the “backbone” functions that connect outcomes, including convening partners, building trust, facilitating collaboration and coordinating systems. - That work often gets less funding than direct services, even though it helps make those services effective. - Her emphasis on humility, empathy and curiosity suggests a leadership model built on listening before directing.

What's next: - Peden plans to keep advancing shared leadership and partnership-driven strategies at Better Together Central Oregon. - She is continuing to build frameworks that connect education, social services and community-driven solutions. - The organization’s next phase appears centered on sustaining collaboration and investing in the infrastructure that supports long-term outcomes.

The bottom line: - Peden’s recognition underscores a simple idea: lasting change for children and families depends on strong relationships, aligned systems and leaders willing to share power.

More information is available through her Influential Women profile.