About Me

Hi, I'm Rachel!

I am passionate about taking sustainability to the next level through unprecedented concepts with realistic paths for achievable short-term goals that address the nation's Green New Deal and Seattle's Climate Action Plan within a locally invested company that shares the same goals.

Moving to Western Washington in 1989, I leaving my home town of San Diego watching the era of Bones Bridgade, Tony Hawk, and professional skateboarding from homemade ramps in the back of skateboarding and surfing shops had finally found its audience, then its momentum. 

I was so lucky to be a teenager here and actually being in the inner-circle of birth of the historic grunge era. I've seen bands that were making history such as Green River at the Green River, on a wobbly-wood plank stage, in a field with cows next store. 

I have seen Mudhoney, Temple of the Dog, and been moshed around with the best of them at local barn shows, or in the middle of '10-acres' running home in the middle of the night in the dark, usually very muddy, diving into ditches on the side of the road, as the cops came to raid our Saturday night, under-age, illegal, concert in the woods with these soon-to-be rock legends. 

I had Alice in Chains and Nirvana cassette tapes before they signed with Sub-Pop that I bought at their show. 

We would take the Seattle Free Bus line to the U-District and look for posters for local shows that were stapled onto the power line poles along the street. 

I was at the very first Lola Poluzza with Jane's Addicition; we were getting signatures for 'Rock the Vote' policial campiagn. 

I have had the pleasure of traveling to every corner of our beautiful state (before GPS) and am an expert on navigating even the steepest inclines in and around the city.  

I am driven by my strong sense of connectedness knowing everything happens for a reason and it always comes full circle. As most people may see their big picture as a satellite view of their house, for example, my big picture is the earth, where energy is not created nor destroyed, and every action has an equal and opposite reaction.   

By gathering or collecting as much information as I can on any given subject, I label and categorize it. This allows me to be able to take a step back to see how things are connected in the bigger picture and try to put them in place accordingly.  

While working at South Seattle College, my supervisor walked to my desk and stated, "I not only get down in the weeds, I stay for lunch and bring my sleeping bag to stay the night".  When I mentioned that to my instructor, he added that I ",,, bury myself in information and dig my way out".  

For example, programs offered by local and federal agencies need to be repositioned so they reach the people who need them the most and cannot access them due to lack of resources; Specifically renewable energy, community solar gardens, solar trees, pedestrian pathways, living walls and green buildings. 

I can connect nonprofits or organizations to these government programs to tax incentives/credits to opportunity zones, city 'equality' zones, low-income housing, or brownfields, in ways that benefit our neighbors, our communities greater good, use our resources to reinvest to more than a general fund back into that community. 

All while being aware of building and energy codes, sustainable building science during and after construction, and most importantly the stakeholders.

Early on I had established my professional 'template' if you will.  I worked for a placement agency Almond & Associates for several years.  I worked there not because I could not get 'a real job', I liked the flexibility and variety.  I was assigned the best projects because I had proven several times, if it is filling in for the receptionist at Alaska Airlines corporate office, assisting with trade union job costing, or coordinating a private function held at Benaroya Hall catered by Wolfgang Puck, I would provide a consistent level of quality service.  

My short industry experience relative to number of years is not like most.  In the past three years, I went from looking at a wall and merely seeing a picture hanging next to the window to now I see a slab on grade, built-up tilt roof built with building code standards, daylighting, fenestration, building envelope and so on.  

I studied design drawings for hours until they made since, then some more until I could interrupt them.  

I spent hours and hours gathering information trying to comprehend what an HVAC is and how it relates to giving a building tune-up.  I admit, the first few months, I felt lost and I was not sure I could sort it all out.

The second year it all started to come together; I was able to take the seemingly random information and categorize it, gather on-site information, either new or existing construction, land and site use, zoning and codes, internal and external environment/ecosystem, estimating and budgeting, managing facilities and so on. 

So much so, while working at South Seattle College after being an intern for six months was offered a full-time position. My first project was a $500,000 JOC tenant improvement which led to a $16 million design-build and $24 million construction project where I was solely responsible for the $1.8 million Furnishings, Fixtures, and Equipment (FFE).  

Then I was assigned a smaller JOC interior wall water damage repair project.  

How many people with ten or even twenty years of industry experience do not know how to read a set of design plans to understand the importance of pre-construction planning or are so set in their way of it has always been done this way it is not broke why fix it mentality?  

I see all the pieces and how they fit together, I understand the importance of planning the work and working the plan continuously to make sure project goals are met on time and on budget.