About Us

At Rainbow Valley, we know that doing well goes hand-in-hand with doing good. That’s why, in addition to striving to enhance the lives of our clients, we are committed to sustainability, creating fulfilling family-wage jobs, being a positive contributor to our community, and to doing great work. We are proud to have many employees that have been with us for decades and many clients that return to us again and again for their projects.

Our History

In 1971, a young designer named Stephen Williams lived on Rainbow Valley Road outside of Eugene. He joined with a group of carpenters to form a small design-build company, and Rainbow Valley Design and Construction was born. Over the decades, Rainbow Valley has grown into an award-winning firm and one of Oregon’s leaders in sustainable design and construction. We are much larger now, but the cooperative spirit of our early beginnings lives on in the way we approach every project.

Design-Build

Rainbow Valley is a design-build firm, meaning we are responsible for the design and construction aspects of every project. Unlike the traditional architect and general contractor model, where you deal with two different firms, in the design-build process it’s all one team with you from start to finish. It’s easier and more straightforward and the responsibility for success lies in a single place. Communication is streamlined, scheduling is more efficient and tracking costs from the early design phases to the last coat of paint is easier. It’s a great process and we have been perfecting it for more than five decades, bringing beautiful, design-build craftsmanship and easy working relationships to every project.

Our Five-Year Warranty

We take great pride in our craftsmanship and the quality of the materials we use. We design and build with the Oregon weather, dogs, and kids in mind. We feel our projects should be as durable and worry-free as they are beautiful and functional. This is why we offer a Five-Year Warranty on all the work we do.

Sustainability

At Rainbow Valley, we believe strongly in being good stewards, in preserving and protecting our shared resources so they can be enjoyed by our community long into the future. From how we design and build, to how we run our company, being healthy, socially responsible, and environmentally friendly have always been important to us. Some highlights of our commitment include winning Eugene’s first solar award in the 70s, building Lane County’s first LEED Certified Home in 2007, being Rethink certified by BRING since 2012, being rated one of the “100 Best Green Workplaces In Oregon” by Oregon Business magazine in 2015, and having a 57kW solar array on our roof, two electric cars in our parking lot, and lots of bikes in our building.

Giving

Rainbow Valley Design and Construction has a long history of philanthropic involvement and we are committed to improving the quality of life for everyone in our community. Every year we give to a number of local organizations either in direct financial support or with in-kind donations of services. Our giving priorities include addressing homelessness, supporting at-risk youth, reducing food insecurity, creating better access to mental health services, increasing DEI in our community, protecting the environment, and supporting causes that our employees are passionate about. Here are some of the local organizations that we supported in 2024:

Our Staff

Rainbow Valley has a committed team of about 50 members, led by a core of eight partners, each with decades of experience. We are designers and builders and business managers, working together to create spaces and buildings and landscapes that our clients love

Partner & Lead Designer

Alec Dakers

Partner & Lead Designer for Outdoor Spaces Division

Ali McQueen

GLASS SPECIALIST

Billy Vendetti

LEAD CARPENTER

Breeze Strout

Project Manager

Chris Cianciulli

Partner & General Manager

Dana Tessler

Partner & Project Initiator

Dean Lamoureux

LEAD CARPENTER

Federico Corona

LEAD CARPENTER

Fred Bennett

LEAD CARPENTER

Ian Etherton

SPECIAL PROJECTS & ARCHITECTURAL METAL FABRICATION

Jeremy Parliman

FINISH CARPENTER

Jimmy Buse

Partner & Outdoor Spaces Manager

Jon Clark

LANDSCAPE LEAD

Josh King

Project Manager

Kevin Gillis

Partner & Project Manager

Lytton Reid

Project Manager

Mick Joachim

LEAD CARPENTER

Mike Clark

Partner & Project Manager

Nic Porter

LEAD CARPENTER

Phillip Baxter

LEAD CARPENTER

Richard Fuller

LEAD CARPENTER

Roman Corona Barrientos

Lead Designer

Scott Felsher

LEAD CARPENTER

Sean Upton

SHOP MANAGER & CABINET SPECIALIST

Schuyler Schiltz

Partner & Lead Designer

Tobin Newburgh

PAINTING LEAD

Travis Dooley

Partner & Lead Designer

Alec Dakers

Alec loves design and construction at all scales. He has worked on everything from urban transit stations to furniture, worked as both a professional builder and designer, taught Architecture at the University of Oregon, and spoken widely on design and sustainability issues. When not immersed in his latest project, he can often be found exploring new restaurants with his sons, traveling the Greek Islands with his wife, or digging up the garden (usually by himself). Alec earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Urban Design with a Minor in Architecture from the University of Oregon in 1997, and joined Rainbow Valley in 1998.

Partner & Lead Designer for Outdoor Spaces Division

Ali McQueen

Ali’s love of design spans across many levels and mediums. While working on her Bachelor of Architecture at the University of Oregon, her interests grew in landscape design and planning, which she subsequently studied in Japan and Vancouver, BC.  After graduating in 2011, Ali worked as a marketing and design associate for a local landscape architecture firm; she also taught graphic design and created branding materials for several local breweries before joining Rainbow Valley’s Outdoor Space division in 2018. When she’s not in the office, Ali is likely backpacking through a nearby mountain range or tending to the chaos that is her garden.

GLASS SPECIALIST

Billy Vendetti

Billy’s history in glazing spans several decades. He was born and raised in a suburb of Boston and began a glazing apprenticeship at age 16. After graduating high school, he began working as a glazer professionally and hasn’t stopped since. Billy found his way to Oregon after attending a friend’s wedding and falling in love with the area. After moving to Eugene, Billy began working with Rainbow Valley as a sub-contractor in 2005, before coming on full time as our glazing specialist in 2016. He loves the challenges that this focus brings him and enjoys complex custom projects. When he’s not working with glass, Billy likes to hike, bike, go to concerts, and pick up new hobbies along the way.

LEAD CARPENTER

Breeze Strout

Born in southern Oregon, raised in Eugene, Breeze started dabbling in construction with his father as a teenager and has never looked back. After a stint in Portland, Breeze moved back to Eugene in 2021 and joined Rainbow Valley. While Breeze has worked on some interesting, technically challenging projects he also has a passion for bathroom and kitchen projects because of the transformation it brings to a client’s home. Married with two kids and an accomplished ultimate frisbee player, in his spare time Breeze enjoys fly fishing, camping and a good day on the mountain.

Project Manager

Chris Cianciulli

Hired by Rainbow Valley in 1995, Chris has over 25-years of experience and is well versed in all aspects of residential construction. After a long tenure as a Lead Carpenter and then heading up the Small Projects Team division, Chris is now firmly seated in the Project Manager’s chair. Over the years Chris has been involved in some of our most rewarding projects and his particular strengths include framing and finish carpentry, client relations, and developing lasting relationships with our trade partners. Born in Brooklyn, Chris relocated to Eugene after graduating college in 1991, and in his spare time he can often be found with his family in a drift boat or kayak on one of Oregon’s many rivers.

Partner & General Manager

Dana Tessler

Dana is the glue that holds Rainbow Valley together. As General Manager she is involved with virtually every person that walks through our doors – clients, subs, vendors, employees – and she excels at keeping track of all the details, large and small, that keep a company of our size running smoothly. And she not only does it for Rainbow Valley, Dana is also the Founder and Executive Director of Mama I’m Low, a local non-profit supporting families with children that have Type 1 Diabetes. Dana joined Rainbow Valley in 1991 and in her free time (when she has it) she enjoys hiking, cycling, sewing, reading, and cooking.

Partner & Project Initiator

Dean Lamoureux

Dean joined Rainbow Valley in 1996 and over the years has filled the roles of Carpenter, Designer and Project Manager. This in-depth knowledge of the Design-Build process plays perfectly to his current role as Project Initiator, the first point of contact for all Rainbow Valley clients. The son of an electrician, Dean grew up on or around construction sites in California, later moving to Eugene in the 80s and earning an Architecture degree from the University of Oregon. When not working, Dean and his wife try to strike a balance of keeping their yard at bay, playing outside, and offering “expert” life advice to their 20 something-year-old children.

LEAD CARPENTER

Federico Corona

Growing up in San Blas, Mexico Federico loved sports of all kinds but particularly soccer, and when he moved to Eugene as a teenager he quickly found his way to Sheldon’s varsity soccer team. After high school Federico worked in restaurants and on a dairy farm then in 2015 at the urging of his cousin he tried his hand at construction. While it wasn’t soccer he loved the geometry and problem-solving aspects of it, and he decided this was the profession for him. Federico started at Rainbow Valley in 2017 and quickly worked his way up to the position of Lead Carpenter. In his free time Federico likes playing pool, hanging out with his dog and (you guessed it) playing soccer.

LEAD CARPENTER

Fred Bennett

Born in the Philippines and raised in San Diego, Fred started out his career working for a laptop manufacturing company where he worked in both the manufacturing and corporate administration departments. One day some HVAC work was happening in his office and Fred’s curiosity was piqued. Fred decided to pursue a career in HVAC in 2006 and in 2007 moved to Alaska where he transitioned to carpentry and subsequently spent 15 years working on projects large and small. Fred and his family eventually found their way to Oregon where he joined Rainbow Valley in 2022. Outside of work, Fred has been happily married for over twenty years and has raised two wonderful children with his wife.

LEAD CARPENTER

Ian Etherton

Born in Eugene and raised in Elmira, Ian always had an interest in creating things, frequently building forts as a young child. This passion continued when, at age 13, Ian started helping his dad with his stair-building business, and by the time he was 22 he had earned his contractor’s license. Ian then took some time away from the construction industry to manage and serve wine at Sarver Winery. He found his way back to construction and to Rainbow Valley in 2018 where he is once again building “forts” only they are slightly more complicated. In his spare time, Ian likes to cook and explore the mountains of the Pacific Northwest.

SPECIAL PROJECTS & ARCHITECTURAL METAL FABRICATION

Jeremy Parliman

Born in Berlin, Vermont and raised in western Oregon, Jeremy started welding at a young age and eventually moved to Alaska in 1994 where he spent 20 years in construction and metal fabrication working on everything from hospitals to housing to river boats. Jeremy moved back to Eugene and started at Rainbow Valley in 2014 and has been our go-to for special projects and metal fabrication ever since. Jeremy and his lovely daughter live on their “dream property” in rural Lane County and in his free time Jeremy coaches his daughter’s basketball team, works on their home, and snowboards.

FINISH CARPENTER

Jimmy Buse

From an early age Jimmy loved building things. Growing up on a family farm in Minnesota he was not only involved in FFA but also built lots of tree houses and go carts. After high school he went to work for his uncle who was a finish contractor, and he has never looked back. In his 40+ years in construction he has done projects in Minnesota, El Paso, Baton Rouge, Tucson and California and worked on everything from hotels to casinos to restaurants to custom homes. In 2006 Jimmy and his wife moved to Eugene and Jimmy started working for Rainbow Valley. A husband, father, and grandfather of one, in his spare time Jimmy enjoys restoring things, including old tractors, boats and even a piano.

Partner & Outdoor Spaces Manager

Jon Clark

As a fourth generation Oregonian and son of a millworker, Jon has deep roots in the community and a strong appreciation for its natural beauty. Jon got his start in landscape construction in 2004 and joined Rainbow Valley in 2013 where he heads up our Outdoor Spaces team. In addition to managing projects, Jon is an accomplished stone mason, hardscape installer and equipment operator. Off the clock, Jon serves on the board of Friends of Trees and is the founding member of his young family’s “four person adventure group” that spends much of their time tromping, kayaking, fishing, and sometimes even relaxing, in Oregon’s beautiful outdoors.

LANDSCAPE LEAD

Josh King

Though Josh started his career in social work, his path to becoming our resident hardscape and masonry expert seemed inevitable. His background in art and medieval architecture came to a head when he began working in landscape construction. Once Josh worked stone for the first time, he knew he was meant to be a mason. He later found out his great-grandfather was a stone mason in Italy, and Josh still uses his original chisel to this day.  Outside of stonework, Josh is also highly skilled in machine work and hardscape construction. When Josh is not shaping earth and stone, he can be found paint balling, golfing, listening to vinyl records, and spending time with family and friends.

Project Manager

Kevin Gillis

Hired by Rainbow Valley in 2012, Kevin started as a Carpenter and has steadily worked his way up through the ranks to Project Manager. With his years of carpentry experience and equipped with strong communication skills, Kevin excels at getting clients smoothly through the complex process of a construction project. Born in Detroit Michigan and with stints in Savannah and Boulder, Kevin finally settled in Eugene in 2012 where he loves to read and play with his two young children Bodhi and River. When he has a chance to sneak away for some alone time you’ll find him fishing one of Oregon’s beautiful rivers or snowboarding one of its epic mountains.

Partner & Project Manager

Lytton Reid

A man of many talents, Lytton has worked on both the design and building sides of the company. Since joining Rainbow Valley in 2013, Lytton has been the Outdoor Spaces Lead Designer and a Lead Carpenter before settling in as Project Manager. Lytton holds a Landscape Architecture degree from the University of Oregon and has even worked in China for a large Landscape Architecture and Planning firm. When he is not working at the office he can often be found working on his historic home or in his 10 acre garden, but when he finally does break away he enjoys playing the piano, riding motorcycles, hunting mushrooms and surfing.

Project Manager

Mick Joachim

Mick spent his youth exploring the backcountry of Montana, but starting at 16, summers were also spent setting up concrete forms. Since then, Mick has worn many hats in construction, from being a production framer to starting his own company. He has worked on custom homes, log cabins, ADU’s and high-end remodels in Bozeman, Aspen, Berkley, San Francisco, and Silicone Valley. In 2020, wanting to get back to a place more like Montana, Mick and his wife moved to Eugene, and he joined the Rainbow Valley family. Now in his spare time, Mick can get back to some of his first loves, getting on a river with a fly-rod or exploring the mountains with his dogs.

LEAD CARPENTER

Mike Clark

Like many in the trades, building is in Mike’s blood. As a kid Mike’s first “job” was picking up drywall scraps for his family’s drywall business. In high school, Mike excelled in shop classes winning awards for welding and sheet metal and in his senior year started working for a sheet metal shop. In 1996, Mike and his brother moved from Roseburg to Eugene where they started doing concrete work with Mike eventually getting into production framing. Then in 2010, the clouds parted, the stars aligned, and Mike came to work for Rainbow Valley where his carpentry skill is matched only by his great sense of humor. In his spare time Mike enjoys camping with his wife and daughter and playing the drums.

Partner & Project Manager

Nic Porter

Nic’s solid performance is only exceeded by his creative talents. Nic joined Rainbow Valley in 2005 as a Carpenter, steadily worked into the Lead Carpenter role and in short order became a Project Manager. But beyond the construction knowledge and organizational skills needed to successfully see projects through, Nic brings a sculptor’s sensibility to his work. He has been responsible for some of our most iconic projects and enjoys working with the designers and clients to develop unique features and creatively solve problems. In his free time he is active in the ultimate frisbee community and loves to camp, bike, and cook with his family and friends.

LEAD CARPENTER

Phillip Baxter

The middle child of 13, Phillip grew up on a family farm outside of Flint Michigan. In his late 20s he found himself working in an auto parts plant, where one day at lunch, tired of working inside, he called his brother who was in sheetrock and asked for a job. He returned from lunch, quit, and has been in construction ever since. Since then, Phillip has done everything from being a pipe setter for an underground utility company to installing drop ceilings to remodeling houses. In 2000, at the urging of one of his six sisters he moved to Eugene and in 2002 joined Rainbow Valley. In his spare time, Phillip enjoys hiking and fishing and visiting his sisters in Washington and Alaska.

LEAD CARPENTER

Richard Fuller

Born and raised in Eugene, Richard dove headfirst into carpentry in 2016 when he joined Rainbow Valley.  Prior to that he worked most of his adult life as a chef building artisan pizzas and healthy dishes, but running a successful project is a lot like running a successful kitchen, there are lots of ingredients, lots of steps, lots of people involved, and good preparation and organization are key, so Richard was a natural. In his free time Richard likes to remodel his house (he really can’t get enough), garden, tend to his fruit trees, and occasionally take nature walks.

LEAD CARPENTER

Roman Corona Barrientos

Born in the small town of Chacalilla, Mexico, Roman started his work life in the restaurant business, then worked building economical cooking stoves, and eventually transitioned to residential construction. Then in 2015, after about 10 years in the industry, Roman found his way to Rainbow Valley where he has been a steady presence ever since. While Roman likes working with his hands, what he really enjoys about construction is seeing a set of plans transform into a finished project. Married with three teenagers, in his spare time Roman enjoys spending time with family and friends, working on his never-ending home projects, and playing video games with his kids

Lead Designer

Scott Felsher

In his 30+ years in design and construction, Scott has enjoyed a wide variety of experiences, from operating heavy equipment to studying architecture in Rome, from designing and building yurts, to designing KLCC’s Oregon Country Fair booth. Scott earned a Bachelor of Architecture degree with a Minor in Architecture History from the University of Oregon in 1991, and joined Rainbow Valley in 1992. When he gets away from his desk, he gets far away, like cycling through remote parts of Oregon with 2,000 of his closest friends or hiking through Spanish villages with his wife. 

LEAD CARPENTER

Sean Upton

As the Lead Carpenter for our Outdoor Space Division, Sean not only excels at building high quality structures, but he excels at building them in all kinds of weather. Sean started his career in construction in 2011 in California, building new homes along the Pacific Coast. After doing this for some years, he took a detour to work as a conductor for the Union Pacific Railroad. Sean found his way back to construction and to Rainbow Valley in 2020. In his spare time, he can be found spending time with his family or fixing and tinkering with his garden-sized model train set.

SHOP MANAGER & CABINET SPECIALIST

Schuyler Schiltz

Schuyler, affectionately known as our “Schop Guy,” started at Rainbow Valley in 2020. Born in San Jose, California, Schuyler remained there through college where he graduated from San Jose State University with a degree in Business Management. While deciding on a career path, Schuyler realized that he loved building things and interacting with people, so he got a job with a high-end cabinet company in Eugene, where he developed his appreciation for the industry and his carpentry skills. When off the clock, Schuyler can be found working on personal projects, playing hockey or driving balls on the back nine of a local golf course.

Partner & Lead Designer

Tobin Newburgh

Tobin is a true master of many trades. Since 1998, he has worked as both designer and builder on many interesting projects, including straw bale and cob houses; he has coordinated zero-waste events and published papers on Passive Solar and Daylighting and Net-Zero Energy Modeling. But it doesn’t stop there – currently he hosts a radio show, is on the Ski Patrol, and most importantly, is the dedicated father of three beautiful children. Tobin earned LEED accreditation in 2009, a Master of Architecture degree from the University of Oregon in 2010, and joined Rainbow Valley in 2013.

PAINTING LEAD

Travis Dooley

Born in Eugene Travis has over 20 years of painting experience. His first 5 years were spent with a commercial painting company and the next 15 were with a residential firm that Rainbow Valley worked with often and where Travis was one of our favorites. Then in 2024, when the painting firm decided to close shop, Travis joined Rainbow Valley to head up our painting crew. Like the saying goes “When you find good people, make room for them in your life” and Travis is good people. In his spare time Travis enjoys camping, rock hounding and flying kites with his family.

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