Senior Associate Urban Designer/Planner

• Jan 2014 - Present

Manages multi-discipline teams to develop equitable community plans. Distills complex information into actionable plans. Strategizes and leads meaningful community engagement processes. Oversees scope, budget, and schedule of multi-firm teams. Analyzed, problem-solved, illustrated, and produced reports for over 50 projects. Highlights include:Seattle’s Judkins Park Station Access and Land Use Study. Rachel led a team to improve access to the future light rail station and examine zoning during the Mandatory Housing Affordability upzone process. Through strategic engagement, especially with long-time Black residents and Lighthouse for the Blind employees, Rachel identified community priorities for a livelier and safer station area.PSRC Vision 2050 Social Equity Technical Assistance. Rachel curated a consultant team of organizations rooted in underrepresented communities to advise PSRC's equity strategies. She reviewed similar regional planning agencies’ equity indicators, programs, and policies and highlighted ways for PSRC to better center race and social justice. Housing Action Plans. Rachel is leading plans for SeaTac and Marysville (integrated with their Downtown Master Plan update) and supporting 5 others. She is sensitively presenting data, ground-truthing with local knowledge, and identifying impactful and doable strategies. She authored the Department of Commerce’s Housing Action Plan Guidebook’s Community Engagement chapter and Strategies to Address Cultural Displacement section.Olympia Downtown Strategy. Rachel developed and facilitated community engagement activities to identify land use and transportation issues, interests, and priorities. She worked with the team to move these priorities into actionable, impactful steps for near-term implementation. The Downtown Strategy exemplifies Rachel’s straightforward writing and graphics.

Associate Urban Designer/Planner

• Jan 2012 - Jan 2014

Urban Designer/Planner

• Jun 2010 - Jan 2012

Yoga Instructor

• 2011 - 2016

Teaching Assistant

• Oct 2009 - Dec 2009

Taught AutoCAD to landscape architecture students

Community Planning and Development Representative

• Jun 2008 - Sep 2008

• Reviewed CDBG, SHP, and SHOP grantees reports for compliance• Produced maps for WA entitlement communities and trained staff on ArcMap

Planning Intern

• Sep 2007 - Dec 2007

• Compiled data and produced the Southwest Area Plan existing conditions report• Generated informational maps for the Southwest Area and digitized land use zones

Urban Design Project Coordinator

• Jan 2007 - Jul 2007

• Assessed needs of low-income housing residents through 200 in-person surveys and conducted business retention and expansion interviews• Promoted and coordinated Fairbanks public workshops with resulting attendances of 250 - 400 (pop. 30,000)• Advised North Pole mayor, Council, and committees on urban design and launched community visioning process• Produced land use, urban design, and economic development promotional materials

Water and Sanitation Extension Agent, Mali, West Africa

• Jan 2004 - May 2006

• Assessed needs. Led community meetings, conducted surveys, and observed daily activities in 200-person village to identify community development projects.• Expanded water sources. Sought and managed funding for construction of two wells and irrigation system. • Assembled and supervised labor. Trained leaders in the installation, operation, and maintenance of new pump.• Taught biweekly health, sanitation, hygiene, and nutrition in five classes. Developed lesson plans, classroom activities, and visual aids.