Meet your Board of Park Commissioners
Get to know your Park Board! In 2025, three new commissioners have been appointed to fill recently vacated seats on Parks Tacoma’s Board. Parks Tacoma was established as the first independent park district in Washington State in 1907 and is governed by a Board of Park Commissioners who are elected to serve 6-year terms. These three new commissioners now fill seats vacated in December 2024 following Commissioner Rosie Ayala’s transition to her elected post on the Pierce County Council; Commissioner Aaron Pointer’s retirement after 24 years of service; and the unexpected passing of Commissioner Tim Reid—the longest-serving member in the history of Parks Tacoma. Alisa Lee, Carla Santorno and Pete Reyes join Matt Mauer and Andrea Smith to serve Parks Tacoma’s mission of creating healthy opportunities to play, learn and grow.
Alisa Lee
Alisa Lee didn’t always plan on making Tacoma her home. Like the stories of countless others who come to Tacoma and decide to stay, she felt captured by the possibilities offered by the City of Destiny.
Lee moved to Tacoma from a small town in the Olympic Peninsula to attend the University of Puget Sound. It was during that time she fell in love with Tacoma’s parks, which spoke to her love for nature and wildlife.
“Coming from a small town on the coast, I’d spent a lot of time hiking in national parks, so visiting Point Defiance’s 760 acres gives me a great sense of peace,” said Lee
She continues to visit the park on a regular basis, making weekly trips to 5-Mile Drive to see what plants are blooming.
While she still loves the parks, she also discovered Tacoma offers plentiful opportunities for community members of diverse backgrounds, including herself.
“There just kept being opportunities and people opening new doors for me,” said Lee.
Now, as a member of the Board of Park Commissioners, she wants to make sure those same doors are open for all members of our community.
“It’s not about me, it’s about the we. Whenever I go, I just try to listen,” said Lee.
One of the things Lee views as essential to helping diverse communities thrive are services. It’s the word she hopes encompasses what she will contribute during her time as commissioner. Growing up as part of a blue-collar, mixed-race household in a rural area, she knows from personal experience how community programs can be a lifeline and source of joy for people lacking resources. She is excited by the many supportive programs she already sees Parks Tacoma offering to community members, like its partnership with Tacoma Public Schools to make afterschool activities more accessible through Beyond the Bell. Lee wants to make sure the agency is doing all it can to meet the needs of people with disabilities, parents with childcare concerns, and our city’s growing population of elder adults.
She also views fostering cultural inclusion as another key service Parks Tacoma should play a role in. As a first generation Vietnamese American, advocating for the cultures of all members of the community to be uplifted and celebrated is something close to Lee’s heart. She was moved and inspired when she attended the Tet Lunar New Year event at Eastside Community Center, which is hosted annually by the Golden Bamboo Walking Group. Lee believes events like this offer important opportunities to welcome all community members to the same table and celebrate the diverse identities that make Tacoma such a thriving cultural ecosystem.
Her professional career has given her many opportunities to engage with diverse communities, which has built a skill set she is excited to put into action as a park commissioner. In her role outside of Parks Tacoma, she has held multiple positions in community organizing, political campaigning and the legal field. She currently works as an electoral program manager with an organization that supports and empowers candidates from marginalized communities to run for office. She frequently makes use of parks as safe, accessible spaces where people gather together as part of her work. 
Prior to joining the Park Board, she also got involved guiding the future of Parks Tacoma as a member of the Active Lifestyles & Community Wellness Advisory Council, one of five volunteer advisory groups that make recommendations to the agency based on their expertise and experiences as community leaders. Her own experiences making use of parks as a place for self-care has informed her understanding of parks as an essential component of community wellness.
Wildlife and the outdoors are close to Lee’s heart. In her free time, she loves camping, clamming, and “chaos gardening” in her yard in the Hilltop. She loves animals and has three large dogs who she often takes to play at the Wapato Park dog park. During the pandemic, she reconnected with her love of horses and adopted two rescued mustangs from Montana. Because of this passion for living creatures, she is especially excited to support Parks Tacoma’s zoos and wildlife conservation programs, like the ongoing work to protect endangered Red Wolves at Point Defiance Zoo & Aquarium.
Just like with community services, Lee understands how nature has a unique way of bringing a wide variety of people together to share something magical.
“Whether I’m walking trails to have some alone time, or looking at flowers with a bunch of people, it’s just great to know we’re all enjoying the same thing,” said Lee.
Lee was appointed to the Board of Park Commissioners in December to fill the seat of recently retired Commissioner Aaron Pointer and will serve out the remainder of his term through 2025.
Carla Santorno
After nearly 50 years in education, some people might be ready for a break from the hard work it takes to meet the needs of children. Not Carla Santorno, who sees the next chapter of her life as a new opportunity to continue doing what she loves: serving Tacoma’s kids and families.
“When I retired, I made a commitment to myself to not stop working to help children,” said Santorno, who was appointed to the Board of Park Commissioners in February to fill the vacant seat left by the late Commissioner Tim Reid. She will serve out the remainder of Commissioner Reid’s term through 2025.
Prior to joining the Park Board, Commissioner Santorno served as the superintendent of Tacoma Public Schools from 2012 to 2021. During her tenure as superintendent, she and her husband would walk around Wright Park nearly every day, which she shares is her favorite park. She brings her skills as a leader fostering dynamic partnerships and passion for lifelong learning to her new role at Parks Tacoma.
While she supports all aspects of Parks Tacoma’s mission creating healthy opportunities to play, learn and grow, Santorno has a strong personal connection to supporting learning opportunities for people of all ages in our community.
As a new park commissioner, she has already experienced new learning opportunities herself, which she views as an exciting challenge. This past month, she stepped outside of her comfort zone to take part in something she previously never imagined herself doing: releasing live salmon fry into the creek at Swan Creek Park. It was also the perfect example of the power of partnerships, which Santorno emphasizes as essential to success. Many of the salmon being released were raised in tanks in 29 classrooms across Tacoma as part of an ongoing educational program led by the Foss Waterway Seaport in partnership with Pierce Conservation District and Tacoma Public Schools.
Santorno has witnessed firsthand how educational experiences like this can inspire young people, including her own grandchildren. When they visit her in Tacoma, they are always excited to explore and make new memories together at Parks Tacoma locations.
“The Point Defiance Zoo & Aquarium still captures our attention and sense of wonder. It’s usually the first stop on our trip,” said Santorno.
On one memorable visit, her eldest grandson participated in an up-close animal encounter, which had a remarkable impact on him.
“He still talks about it and it has steered his career choices. He’s 18!” said Santorno.
Santorno wants all community members to be able to experience these moments of inspiration and wonder. She also knows that an important step to achieving this goal is helping community members become aware of what opportunities are available to them through Parks Tacoma.
“Sometimes, people don’t even know about opportunities that are right down the street from them.”
She views the task of educating community about all the different ways they can engage in parks, community centers, zoos, museums and more as an important part of her role on the Park Board. In a single word, she hopes what she accomplishes in her time as a commissioner can be summed up by “access.”
This access doesn’t just mean ensuring people know about the parks and places around them, it also involves removing barriers and creating clear pathways for everyone to enjoy these spaces, regardless of age, ability, race, ethnicity and income level. This is where Santorno’s strength forming relationships with community members and partners comes into play. In addition to her role with Parks Tacoma, she is also a member of the leadership boards for Greentrike and the Foss Waterway Seaport. In these positions, as well as her career in public education, she has developed a firm belief in the importance of showing up, listening and paying attention to what community members have to say.
“If it isn’t difficult and dynamic, you are not doing it correctly,” Santorno said about her approach to leading policy and planning efforts. “Forming relationships with every facet of our community is important–faith groups, philanthropic and service organizations, the business community—they are all a part of building our ‘village.’ I visit a lot. I talk a lot. I learn a lot.”
In addition to fostering access to parks and places for all community members, Commissioner Santorno has a personal goal she wants to accomplish during her time on the Park Board.
“My husband and I have at least three turkey hats. We love the idea of walking off our Thanksgiving turkey at the Norpoint Classic. The only drawback is, once we’re ready, something always interferes—sun, rain, chilly day, hot day, you name it,” Santorno said with a laugh.
This year, she says she and her husband have committed to donning their turkey hats and taking part in the race, regardless of rain or shine.
Pete Reyes
Pete Reyes has always led with care. When the grandmother who raised him began to suffer the effects of dementia, he found purpose in taking care of her and making sure she knew she was still valued. This experience led him to a career in nursing, caring for the health of countless others. When he became a father, he took on a new responsibility of caregiving in providing for the wellbeing and happiness of his children. He sees joining the Board of Park Commissioners as an extension of this practice of caregiving, this time for an entire community.
“As my kids have gotten older and more independent, they need me less. This is another way for me to continue to serve. It fills my cup,” said Reyes.
Originally from West Texas, he visited Tacoma with his family for the first time in March of 2020. When many of their trip plans became derailed due to the pandemic, they made the best of the situation by exploring Tacoma’s Parks. It was there, after a day of experiencing the natural beauty of the Pacific Northwest and witnessing his sons’ joy playing at Owen Beach, that he and his wife made the life-changing decision to move their family to Tacoma. Because of this, it feels particularly meaningful that he now gets a chance to serve his community as a park commissioner.
Reyes was appointed to the Board of Park Commissioners in March to fill the seat of former Commissioner Rosie Ayala, and will serve out the remainder of her term through 2025.
As a commissioner, Reyes is looking forward to applying his knowledge and experience in healthcare to Parks Tacoma. He previously served as a member of the Active Lifestyles and Community Wellness Advisory Council, which reviews and makes recommendations to Parks Tacoma on subjects related to the physical and mental wellbeing of our community.
Reyes currently works as a nursing supervisor at a youth mental healthcare facility. His experiences in the field have informed his understanding of parks as an important tool for recovery and essential component for the health of any community. He cares deeply about youth both as a parent and healthcare provider and feels a responsibility to look out for the mental health of young people in Tacoma. He says that the patients he has witnessed have the most successful recoveries are the ones who get involved connecting with others and with the outdoors.
He has creative ideas for how parks and health services can work together to benefit community members, such as a “Parks RX” program where providers could potentially prescribe time spent outdoors, exercise classes, and other recreation activities as part of patients’ health plans. This could have a positive effect for the physical and mental health of community members.
Reyes sees the complex connections between parks, health, community safety and protecting the environment.
“If you activate spaces in parks and bring more people to parks, it leads to spaces that are safer and cleaner. This goes into making the whole community safer and healthier. If you have this green, safe space, you feel better about where you live, which can also help people feel better about themselves and their neighbors. Also, speaking as a parent, I know that when you raise kids who experience the benefits of great parks and programs, they want to see those things continue in their lifetime. This can lead to the next generation becoming better environmental stewards.”
It isn’t just parks that Reyes cares about, he also loves the many community events and programs made possible by Parks Tacoma.
“The MOSAIC festival at Wright Park has always been a special one for me and my family. Seeing all the different cultures represented really drives home a reason we moved to Tacoma,” said Reyes. At one such event several years ago, Reyes got to participate in a lucha libre wrestling match demonstrating a colorful style of professional wrestling that originated in Mexico. It’s a fun memory that he and his family will never forget. Reyes wants to help others in Tacoma experience similar moments; he shared that “fun” and “joy” are the two words that he hopes define his contributions to Parks Tacoma.
Another reason Reyes felt inspired to become a park commissioner is the example set by former Commissioner Aaron Pointer, who retired in 2024 after serving 24 years on the Park Board.
“The way he was able to carry himself year after year, that’s the type of energy I’m trying to embody. He had lived a whole life and a whole other career, and he chose to spend the next phase of his life in public service. I think that’s amazing. He had a background in sports, and I come from an entirely different background, but I think we share the same mind for public service and willingness to work hard to achieve goals.”
In his spare time, Reyes enjoys gardening with his family. He says his backyard has an “urban farmer” type of energy where he and his wife raise chickens and grow dahlias and vegetables. He also serves as a tree steward with the Tacoma Tree Foundation, is a member of the Hilltop Action Coalition, and has volunteered his time in a variety of ways from leading low tide walks with the Tacoma Nature Center to increasing equity in the cycling community with Second Cycle Community Bike Shop.
Among his many goals as a park commissioner is to inspire the next generation of leaders, starting with his own family.
“I do this because I know my kids are watching. My goal is to make them proud.”
Matt Mauer
The power of parks is not lost on Matt Mauer.
He knows the value nature brings for the health of a community and its environment. He understands the role of shared spaces for bringing people together. He personally learned what a critical lifeline access to safe outdoor experiences can be as someone who became a father during the pandemic.
“Parks can be the great equalizer in any community,” Mauer said. “No matter what your income or background is, everyone can go to a park. It’s a place where all stripes of the community can coexist on an equal playing field, and I think that’s something that should be nurtured and grown to a point where everyone, in every corner of Tacoma, can have that same experience.”
When Mauer was elected to the Board of Park Commissioners, he already had big ideas to improve safety, accessibility and the environment for Tacomans. As a longtime resident of Central Tacoma, he had personally witnessed many gaps in these areas that needed improvement.
One such experience that sparked his drive to run for a seat on the Park Board was an incident outside Franklin Park, the closest park to his home, where two children were hit by a car by leaving the park. Safe walks to parks was a key issue in Mauer’s campaign in 2023, and something he continues to champion as the vice president of the Park Board.
In one word, he hopes his contributions to Parks Tacoma can be summarized by “accessibility.”
“To me, that means being able to access our parks and places free from harm and being safe when you’re there,” said Mauer.
Born and raised in the Tacoma area, Mauer has past experience in the Coast Guard and on the board of multiple Washington nonprofit organizations. His current job is as the governmental affairs manager for the Port of Tacoma, where he frequently works with other government agencies including the City of Tacoma and the Puyallup Tribe.
His experiences in nonprofit and government relations have led him to understand the importance of a strong strategic vision supported by solid policies.
In his personal life, he enjoys yard work and gardening. He often visits parks around Tacoma with his husband, 4-year-old son Milo, and dog DeeDee. His favorite place to go is Titlow Park, where he loves exploring Hidden Beach, plunging in Puget Sound, and seeing the incredible ecosystems revealed at low tide. He’s even braved the freezing waters at the Polar Plunge that takes place annually at the Point Defiance Marina.
His understanding of the importance of parks for health and social bonding was deepened through some of his earliest experiences with his son.
“We had our son in of October of 2020, right in the middle of Covid, and having a place to even just see other people was a bit of a lifesaver for us at the time. To me this shows how parks can be such a crucial pillar for a community,” said Mauer.
He is excited to work with the new commissioners to strengthen this pillar for all Tacomans.
In addition to ensuring safe walks to parks, he’s passionate about community safety and caring for the environment. Many of the ideas he has in mind involve improving park infrastructure to provide an equitable, accessible and safe experience for everyone. In terms of community safety, he envisions ways to make Parks Tacoma spaces more secure with better lighting, lines of sight, and a welcoming staff presence. He is supportive of the Park Guides program, which launched during his first year as a commissioner, and would like to see their presence expanded at some of the District’s most popular attractions. In regard to safe walks to parks, he emphasizes that Parks Tacoma has a responsibility to work with partner agencies to increase accessibility and prevent traffic violence.
He also cares deeply about the environment, reflected in his advocacy for trees and making Parks Tacoma a greener agency.
“It is extremely important to me that we are active player in increasing Tacoma’s tree canopy and actively involved in transitioning to carbon-free operations,” said Mauer.
Another area of interest, inspired in part by his time working with BrightSpark, a nonprofit organization that promotes access to early learning for kids, is how Parks Tacoma can play a role in supporting the childcare needs of our community.
“It clued me into some of the gaps we have in the childcare system in Washington. It’s great to see how Parks Tacoma has joined the conversation and is working with partners like Tacoma Public Schools to make that a more accessible space. I know just how inaccessible and expensive childcare services can be, and I think it’s really cool that we’re trying to break that mold,” said Mauer.
Whether in regard to childcare, pathways to parks, or championing environmental health, safety and accessibility go hand in hand for Mauer. For him, they are the keys to unlocking the incredible things that happen in a thriving park system.
Andrea Smith
Andrea Smith hopes her legacy on the Board of Park Commissioners will be defined by collaborative relationships, and all that has been achieved by uniting resources to provide a higher quality of life for all Tacomans. As the current Board president and longest-serving commissioner, she has dedicated her efforts to develop partnerships and nurture relationships at every level over the past 14 years. 
As a lifelong Tacoman, Smith has earned the nickname “Ms. Tacoma” among friends in the community. She has deep ties to many special places stewarded by Parks Tacoma. She recalls fond childhood memories of going to Wright Park in the fall, where her father would rake piles of leaves at the bottom of the hill beside the conservatory for her and her siblings to roll down into.
After graduating from Foss High School, she attended the University of Puget Sound where she studied occupational therapy. Following that, she started a career as a teller at Old National Bank. She is currently employed at Umpqua Bank, where she works as a senior business loan underwriter.
In her free time, she enjoys gardening. She is known by many for her green thumb and the massive pumpkins that she shares for free with her neighbors each fall.
“We grow pumpkins, not grass. Three-fourths of my yard is garden space,” said Smith.
Her journey with Parks Tacoma started when she joined the board of the Tacoma Parks Foundation, a nonprofit organization that supports the agency’s programs and places through philanthropic work. One of her most memorable experiences in that role was originating and running the annual “Wine and Roses” event at Point Defiance Park.
Once her children were grown and she had more time on her hands, she decided to become even more involved with Parks Tacoma and ran for a seat as commissioner in 2011. Smith is currently serving her third term as president of the Board of Park Commissioners.
Smith has a unique perspective of how government agencies like Parks Tacoma and philanthropic partners can work together to create truly incredible things. She cites something that was shared with her by the Tacoma Parks Foundation’s first executive director that she still believes rings true today.
“Government provides the basics, and philanthropy enables us to create the parks of our dreams. I still feel that. I go to the national conferences, and everyone’s totally jazzed about Tacoma. I attend a class and a lot of the new ideas they’re teaching are things we’re already doing,” said Smith.
One example of the power of philanthropic partnerships is Melanie Jan LaPlant Dressel Park, which received approximately half of its funding through donations made in honor of the park’s namesake. It is a favorite of Smith’s grandchildren, who she says try to convince her to scale the park’s massive climbing tower whenever they visit.
Two other waterfront parks that are particularly meaningful to Smith are Dickman Mill Park and Dune Peninsula. At one point growing up, she lived next to the Dickman family and became friends with one of their daughters, which gives her fond associations now seeing what the park has become. She also values the memories associated with the development of Dune Peninsula, seeing the journey of how a contaminated eyesore became a thriving community space.
“It was fabulous to watch the evolution of Dune Peninsula as it was being built because that took a couple of years, and you could see the changes year over year. I can still go back in my photos and be shocked about what it used to look like,” said Smith.
Other projects she hopes to see begin during her time on the Park Board are renovations to People’s Community Center, a new community center in Southeast Tacoma, and an urban forestry center at Point Defiance Park that can serve as a joint space of operations for multiple agencies’ forestry departments that also provides educational opportunities for Tacoma students.
A recent program she is especially proud of is Co-Create to Recreate, which gives community members an opportunity to provide input what they want to see at their community centers and within the park system to guide investments. It’s another example of how Smith values collaborative relationships in her leadership.
These relationships include Parks Tacoma staff too, who Smith has grFown to know well through working closely together over the years.
“I’m proud to be a commissioner and proud to support the community. I appreciate when staff come up to me and tell me something trusting that I’ll listen,” said Smith.
She is excited to start building relationships with the three newest park commissioners as well, and glad to see a Board that represents the diverse backgrounds and experiences of Tacoma’s community.
She hopes her legacy with Parks Tacoma will be remembered for the trusting relationships she formed, and for her presence in a variety of community spaces.
“Always count on me for showing up. Attendance is really important to me. I may not always say something, but I am there listening and being able to advocate after the fact. I liken my style to ‘quiet leadership.’ I may not always be at the front speaking out, but I’m always working on a relationship level.”