Priorities

Here’s where I’d focus my efforts as your Parks Tacoma Commissioner. Alongside these issues are pictures of parks I’ve seen elsewhere, included to illustrate what we can work together to make happen here in Tacoma.

Picture of a 'parklet' in Washington DC. The Parklet is in a parking strip where cars would usually park. It has flower beds, small trees, and brightly colored seating.

Parks for All, Made With You

I know what it’s like to advocate hard and not feel heard. That’s why I believe in listening first—because the best public spaces are designed with the people who use them. Too often, the communities with the least access to green spaces have little say in how park projects are prioritized. I’m committed to community-led design that ensures marginalized neighborhoods have real power in shaping the future of our parks. If elected, here’s what you can hold me to:

  • Prioritizing historically underserved communities—BIPOC, LGBTQ+, immigrants, people with disabilities, youth and elders—to ensure equity in park investments

  • Advancing innovative ways to expand access to green spaces across Tacoma through tree-lined pathways and investments in neighborhood parklets

  • Creating more opportunities for public input to shape the Park Board’s prioritization decisions, so residents don’t just respond to plans—they help set vision from the start

A SuperBlock square in Barcelona places to sit and play.

Parks as Community Resource Hubs

Parks aren’t just places to play—they should be places where we take care of each other. I’ve spent my career helping governments design services that actually work for people. I know when we co-locate resources where people are already gather, we strengthen community. Imagine stopping by your local park not just for a walk, but to get coffee from a small business, chat with neighbors, pick up fresh produce, find help navigating benefits, or feel relief in a heatwave. Parks can be true hubs of connection and care—if we design them that way. As a Parks Commissioner, I’ll work to:

  • Reimagine community centers as resource hubs with co-located services like childcare, benefits navigation, and cooling/heating shelters

  • Invest in youth and senior recreation programs that foster intergenerational connections and boost community wellness

  • Strengthen partnerships with local businesses, non-profits, and government agencies like the County, City, Tacoma Public Schools, and Pierce Transit to expand services available at community centers

A treed walkway in Mexico City with rentable ebikes in the foreground.

Parks for Climate Resilience

Cities around the world are proving that parks aren’t just places to relax—they are one of our best defenses against climate change. Expanding tree canopies will cool our neighborhoods and improve air quality. Turning underused spaces into parklets with urban habitats will reduce flooding impacts and create places for people to gather. And by designing better pathways for walking, biking, and transit, we can make sure everyone—not just people who can access a vehicle—can reach parks safely. Here’s where I’d work to prepare Tacoma’s parks for future generations:

  • Invest in sustainable park management by restoring native habitats where appropriate, planting adaptive species, expanding tree canopies, and diverting stormwater runoff

  • Proactively partner with the City and Pierce Transit to create shaded, walkable and bikeable pathways between parks and neighborhoods using our roads

  • Collaborate with the County and Tacoma Public Schools to make our community centers places that everyone can get relief during heatwaves and cold weather events