Despite the last name, I’m an avid tea drinker. Earl Grey every morning. As Dweller’s Project Coordinator, I perform site visits, arrange permits with the City, coordinate installations with our subcontractors, and provide general support and logistics for the team.
Growing up as one of seven children, I quickly learned the value of good planning at an early age. After high school, I traveled through Europe volunteering on farms where I fell in love with growing and eating delicious food. These lessons of planning and patience carried over into my adult life. I am an avid gardener and will happily talk about varieties of cherry tomatoes for hours.
I studied urban planning and development at Western Washington University. Through a grant program, I was offered the opportunity to travel through South America and explore environmental sustainability and innovation in Peru, Ecuador, and Colombia. The more time I spent in these amazing cities, the more I was drawn to sustainable housing, especially Accessory Dwelling Units also known as ADUs. After graduation, I started learning about ADU policy and housing issues working with the Washington based non-profit Sustainable Connections. After learning about Dweller, I felt inspired and made the move to Portland to be part of the team. I have been planning, project coordinating, and learning ever since.
One of my favorite aspects of my job is site visits. I’ve explored many Portland metro area neighborhoods and back yards. I chat with property owners about their needs and dreams for owning an ADU on their property. There are many dimensions to building an ADU and every property presents unique challenges and opportunities. As Dweller’s Project Coordinator, I am experienced with the planning and logistics that need to be figured out to put one of our ADUs in someone’s backyard.
At a site visit, we look at available space and preferred location for a Dweller ADU. We determine be best option for crane installation, consider fencing and landscaping options to give the ADU privacy, how to connect to public utilities like sewer and water, and so much more…
Thankfully, homeowners don’t need to know the ins and outs of sewer connections, or the logistics of bringing in an excavator. That’s why I’m here! Performing site visits and coordinating the installation of our ADUs has given me an interesting lens to view the city I call home. Now, when I take neighborhood walks, I can’t pass a house without thinking about excavator access, power lines, building space, and imagining the depth of the crawlspace. Thankfully, I find these questions quite engaging!
So is a Dweller ADU right for you? Give us an address and we can help transform your back yard into a beautiful home. I can’t wait to begin exploring this process with you.