“People know what they need for themselves and their families — and I believe everyone deserves a fair shot at building the life they want. Too often, the systems that are supposed to be the wind at your back are instead a headwind, making it harder to get ahead. I have spent my career working to change public policy to make it work better for people, especially those whose lives are too often shaped by decisions made far away, without their input.”

Taylor Smiley Wolfe serves as the Foundation’s very first director of policy, where she will help lead the foundation’s strategy to increase rural influence for durable policy changes that benefit rural communities. Her expertise is in building and advancing strategies to improve outcomes for people using a range of policy tools, including research and evaluation, policy design, advocacy, and implementation. Her priority is making sure people who are most impacted are centered throughout the process.

She has more than 13 years of experience in public policy and advocacy in many different settings, all focused on improving outcomes for families and communities. She came to the Foundation from state government, where she served as deputy chief of staff for Gov. Tina Kotek.

After graduating from the University of Oregon in 2011, Taylor worked in direct service with people experiencing health crises, many of whom were homeless. Walking with people as they navigated complex systems that weren’t designed with them in mind cemented her commitment to changing systems to work better for people. Knowing she wanted to pursue a career in public policy, she began hiking the Pacific Crest Trail — while simultaneously studying for the graduate school admissions exam.

“I would hike during the day, and then I would take a practice test at night and then burn the paper in the campfire so I wouldn’t have to carry the weight,” she says. By the end of her 5-month and 2,800-mile journey, the way forward was clear. Taylor was accepted to the University of California, Berkeley, and graduated in 2016 with a master’s degree in public policy.

After grad school, Taylor and her husband moved back to her home state of Oregon to be closer to family. Taylor and her family love to spend time outdoors and are big readers. Dance parties initiated by her young child are a favorite family ritual.
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