Vicky Schwoeffermann, born and raised in Boston, MA, earned her BA in Criminal Justice and her Masters in Human Services from Northeastern University. She believes her purpose in life is to be a voice for the community and advocate for those who need critical support to overcome cultural, educational, and economic barriers. She brings over 15 years of experience in supporting leadership training programs, fundraising, management, events, and strategy. She currently supports several organizations including Harvard University, Oregon Food Bank, and HOLLA. In her spare time, she enjoys running and hiking with her husband, Tamu, her 7-year-old son, Kenzo, and her 5-year-old daughter, Simra.

Why this board?

The mission of Portland Parks Foundation—to strengthen communities and provide a sense of belonging for everyone in Portland—makes it crucial for me to be in this space at this time. I think our parks are uniquely divine—the green spaces here connect us all and are a crucial part of our city's identity. 

Unfortunately, COVID has revealed additional inequities that exist with different populations, specifically African Americans and other people of color. What is unique about Portland Parks Foundation is that we are going about making parks better in an equitable way. We are trying to listen to the community and elicit voices about what things are missing in our parks. How can we make them better, how can we adapt and be agile given the times? How can we grow support for more parks in different areas?

What do you hope to accomplish while serving?

Growing up I used to spend most of my summer days in the parks of Boston swinging a tennis racket and running around the court. I used to play tennis in the park for probably about eight hours a day with friends and family. I was even afforded the opportunity to play tennis with Venus and Serena Williams through a sponsorship program called Tenacity Summer Tennis Reading Program. The community rallied around and brought their arms around the kids of the community. That is what I want to do for others because it was a place of so much joy for me. I want to provide this joy for the community.