Taylor Smiley Wolfe joined the Foundation in April 2026 as the very first director of policy, where she leads the strategy to shape long-term policy and systems outcomes to benefit rural communities.
Taylor graduated from the University of Oregon in 2011 with a bachelor’s degree in political science and earned her master’s degree in public policy from University of California, Berkeley, in 2016. She has over a decade of experience advancing robust policy changes to improve outcomes for kids and families across Oregon. Most recently, Taylor served as deputy chief of staff of initiatives to Oregon Gov. Tina Kotek.
Can you share a bit about your personal background?
I was born on the East Coast, and my family moved to the Portland metro area for job opportunities when I was in elementary school. Before the move, I studied a book about Oregon landscapes and put a sticky note by every picture I hoped to see in real life. The whole book was stuffed with pink sticky notes by the time we moved. I went to high school and college in Oregon and met my spouse at a summer camp in Oregon when we were kids. Although we have lived in California and still visit family there often, Oregon is the place we call home.
How would you describe the work you do?
To me, policy work is about changing the systems that impact people’s lives to work better for them, their families and their communities. Throughout my career, I’ve navigated and worked to change systems to improve outcomes for people from almost every angle: providing direct services, grassroots organizing, policy research and advocacy, public agency work, the legislative branch and the executive branch. The work that I’ve always loved to do is chart a path to outcomes on issues that people care deeply about but are struggling to believe that change is possible. My belief that difficult things are possible if you have a clear goal and the right tools is the mentality that helped me hike 2,800 miles from Mexico to Canada on the Pacific Crest Trail. Build a good roadmap, bring the tools you need, adjust your plan when something unexpected happens, build and lean on your community, take it one day at a time and keep moving towards your goal.
What did you do before joining the Foundation team?
After I moved back to Oregon, I worked in the Oregon Legislature serving as a policy adviser and policy director for the House speaker for three years. From there, I served as the inaugural policy director for the largest provider of affordable housing in the state of Oregon during the pandemic. When Gov. Kotek won election in 2022, I joined her transition team, served as her housing and homelessness initiative director and then as her deputy chief of staff of initiatives. Across those roles, my policy portfolio included housing production, land use reform, homelessness, mental health and addiction care, human services, child welfare, early childhood education and K-12 education.
Taylor and family at Corona Del Mar, California.
What prompted your move to the Foundation?
With a young child of my own, I want to be part of building a better future for kids and families, and I believe that The Ford Family Foundation is positioned to be a game changer in this space. The Foundation is strategically positioned to shift the rules that aren’t working for rural communities and create the windows of opportunity that decision makers need to truly build a future where kids can thrive.
My parents grew up in the Midwest, and their values shaped mine in ways that I am proud of. I found a lot of personal connections to the Foundation’s mission, vision, values and approach. I had also worked with Tim Inman, the Foundation’s chief policy and public affairs officer, and he has been a significant mentor of mine. We come from different backgrounds but we align on taking a pragmatic approach that leads to better outcomes for kids. It was easy to say yes to working towards a mission I believe in with a great team and organization that is poised to make significant impact in the policy space.
Do you have a passion for a particular part of the Policy and Public Affairs agenda?
The Foundation’s focus on kids and particularly early childhood education and preschool strikes a chord with me. I care about that intellectually, and also as a mom who’s navigating childcare myself and knows how difficult and challenging it is, even in one of the biggest metropolitan areas of the state. It’s so much harder for people living outside of urban areas, so that’s something that also drew me to the work.
Do you want to share a fun fact about your family?
My 3-year-old loves to have dance parties, so those are a ritual in our house. Our kiddo usually initiates by requesting a specific song that he wants to dance to, and it’s something all three of us do together. Last weekend, we all struck different poses while listening to Madonna’s Vogue. We also love to read together as a family, and we spend a lot of time outdoors.