C O N N E C T‍ ‍

A sustainable future is possible. Contact GreenDeck to learn more about GSI services, our mission, partners, and sustainability projects.

Erin Demmon (425) 606.1459 | erin@greendeck.eco

GREENDECK CLIMATE COMMONS LLC.

SERVING KING COUNTY & SNOHOMISH COUNTY
LOCATED IN EVERETT, WA 98203 | EST. 2026

About US:

GreenDeck began as a cohort trainee group at Seattle Opportunity Work Corps (SOW Corps), trained by GSI professionals in the field, such as Dirt Corps, and maintained community rain gardens and watersheds managed by Seattle Public Utilities. Contractors are RainWise certified and local to Greater Puget Sound.

Seattle Jobs Initiative’s Seattle Opportunity Work Corps (SOW Corps) provided career-connected, cohort-based training that prepares Seattle residents for emerging green stormwater infrastructure (GSI) and related utility careers.

Key features

  • Hands-on technical training in GSI installation and maintenance

  • Leadership development integrated into cohort learning

  • Career pathways and connections to employers in stormwater, water, and solid waste sectors

  • Produces a pipeline of qualified workers ready for municipal and private-sector projects

GreenDeck’s Origin

From SOW Corps training and partnerships, GreenDeck has grown into a recognized leader in RainWise projects and other ecological and environmental sustainability efforts across Seattle. SOW Corps. has since ended its training, but the seed of the training lives on!

What GreenDeck delivers

  • Design: Site-appropriate GSI plans that align with city requirements and neighborhood needs

  • Installation: Skilled crew professionals trained in SOW Corps practices, ensuring durable, functional systems

  • Maintenance: Ongoing care plans to preserve performance, improve designs, and uphold structural integrity.

Why it matters

  • Aligns workforce development with municipal stormwater goals and empowers career starts

  • Ensures quality and consistency in GSI projects through shared professional standards

  • Strengthens local job pathways while improving urban resilience and neighborhood green space

Training and workforce outcomes

  • Cohort-based learning: Participants train in small groups that simulate workplace values, fostering communication, collaboration, and peer support. This space is designed for learning leadership skills, building trust, and developing values that lead to professional success.

  • Technical competencies: The curriculum covers site assessment, soil and planting selection, excavation and grading, underdrain and overflow installation, erosion control, and post-installation maintenance—skills required for professional GSI work.

  • Leadership and professional development: Training includes workplace readiness, safety practices, certifications where applicable, and career navigation assistance to transition trainees into long-term employment.

  • Career pathways: The program connects graduates to public agencies, contractors, and nonprofit employers engaged in stormwater management, environmental remediation, and urban greening.

Compliance: GreenDeck adheres to the City of Seattle’s RainWise program guidance and technical standards

  • Regulatory compliance: Design and installation meet municipal permitting and inspection requirements.

  • Performance-based outcomes: Rain gardens and GSI installations are constructed to achieve stormwater retention, infiltration, and pollution reduction goals with a variety of solar-powered accessories that pump and filter runoff.

  • Long-term stewardship: Maintenance protocols and monitoring plans are implemented to sustain functionality and protect public investments.

Community and environmental benefits

  • Workforce development: The model creates living-wage job opportunities for residents, particularly from historically underserved communities.

  • Climate resilience: Distributed GSI reduces stormwater runoff, mitigates flooding, and enhances urban heat resilience through increased vegetation.

  • Neighborhood improvement: Rain gardens and related projects provide aesthetic, recreational, and biodiversity benefits while delivering measurable water-quality improvements.

Conclusion: By combining SOW Corps’ cohort-based, career-connected training with adherence to RainWise standards, GreenDeck has access to skilled crews capable of delivering high-quality rain garden and GSI projects across Seattle. This integrated approach advances municipal stormwater objectives, strengthens local workforce pipelines, and delivers durable environmental and social benefits to Seattle communities.