Grant Gutierrez
About Grant's Work
Grant Gutierrez (he/him/él) currently serves as the Duwamish Valley Program Coordinator at the City of Seattle. In this newly created position, he strives to uplift community voice in local government to prioritize the knowledge and perspectives of BIPOC and other marginalized communities in decisions that affect them most. He works with colleagues across local government and in partnership with community leaders to advance environmental justice and equitable development in the Duwamish Valley.
Grant completed his PhD in a multidisciplinary ecology program. Trained as a cultural anthropologist, his research explored the environmental justice dimensions of ecological improvement in Puget Sound. By drawing on collaborative and community-based research methodologies, he analyzed the cultural and political identities of communities bound-up in river restoration efforts through a comparative ethnographic project on the Skagit and Duwamish rivers. He continues to explore the possibilities of applied research through his position in state government.
Grant is in the deep end of a personal-political love affair with rivers. His childhood in the foothills of the American River watershed has shaped how he shows-up for his work: with an open heart, constant curiosity, and a desire to be of service. He has worked alongside vibrant communities reclaiming their rivers, from anti-dam social movements in Chile, to watershed council politics in his hometown, and now, where he calls home in Puget Sound. He holds a B.A. in Anthropology with a Special Concentration in Sustainable Development from Columbia University. Alongside work, he enjoys going down to the riverside, cooking, spending time with his community, doing things with his hands, riding his bike, and laughter.
