At Chuckanut, we’re proud of our crew—and Greta, a Site Lead, is a standout. In an industry known for big equipment and strong personalities, she’s built her career on something more powerful: integrity, craftsmanship, and collaboration.
Greta’s path to construction has been winding. She studied jewelry design, worked in restaurants, and worked on a painting crew before finding her way to carpentry. An apprenticeship with a respected female builder shaped her approach and values: work without shortcuts, respect resources, reuse materials, and earn respect on site. That same mentor showed her that building is about more than technical skill—it’s about thoughtful choices and stewardship.
Greta is focused on integrity.
“It’s just honesty,” she says. “Owning your work—whether things are going smoothly or not—and keeping your promises.”
She believes trust is built when everyone, from clients to crew, knows the work is rooted in transparency and accountability. She’s equally fueled by creativity. “If you’re doing this for decades, the work has to tap into your creative side,” she says. She’s drawn to unique details, high-performance building, and designs that are both beautiful and sustainable, even building with trash! Some of her favorite buildings are Earthships and hopes someday her training from the Earthship Biotecture Academy will land an Earthship locally.
Her current Passive House project (The Bow Regenerative Farm – page coming soon) reflects this excitement and pragmatism—she’s candid about cost challenges and energized by the innovations. For Greta, “building something that lasts” means more than durability. It’s about creating structures with care, quality, and cultural and environmental value—buildings that, like Europe’s centuries-old architecture, can serve for generations.
Collaboration is Greta’s favorite part of the job. “No one brain can do it all—you actually need each other,” she says.
She values open exchanges with architects, builders, and clients. Over time, she’s learned to trust her team, delegate more freely, and celebrate their successes.
One skill Greta has honed over the years is the ability to be calm under pressure. Her presence reassures folks on-site that everything is under control, even when things get tricky. As a woman in the trades, she credits her mentors with showing how to lead with both authority and approachability—a balance she continues to model. Her advice to women considering the trades is simple: “Do it.” She believes precision work in the trades is a natural fit for many women and that mentorship and curiosity are just as important as technical skills. There’s no substitute for finding a great mentor – seeing work in action and learning from someone who’s got more years under their tool belt.
Greta’s work is defined by craftsmanship and curiosity. She builds with integrity and keeps beauty and sustainability at the core—ensuring that what she creates, in both structures and relationships, stands the test of time.
As one of Chuckanut Builder’s longest tenured builders, Greta is often the person folks go to with questions about fine woodworking details, and she recently completed the PHIUS, Passive House Certified Builder program. We’re grateful to have her leading a team here, using her skills and experience to add beauty and ingenuity to every project she touches.