TACOMA, WA – A successor has been appointed to complete the remaining term of Aaron Pointer’s elected position on the Board of Park Commissioners.
The Board voted unanimously at a special meeting Friday, selecting Alisa Lee from four finalists who were interviewed the week before.
Lee is an electoral program manager for Sage Leaders, working to support candidates from marginalized communities as they run for office.
She also serves on Metro Parks’ Active Lifestyles and Community Wellness Advisory Council and is a cohort advisor for nonprofit Magic Cabinet. Previously, Lee served as a board member for Asian and Pacific Islanders for Civic Empowerment.
“As an experienced board member and community connector, I have devoted my life to public service and building skills that bring people together to find the best possible outcomes through an equity lens,” Lee wrote in her application.
Lee will serve on the Park Board through 2025. She replaces Commissioner Aaron Pointer, who retired Dec. 10 after 24 years of dedicated service.
As a first generation Vietnamese American, Lee said she connects deeply with Metro Parks’ commitment to cultural understanding and community wellness because it helps people from all backgrounds feel connected.
“For me, feeling welcomed in Tacoma, feeling culturally connected and safe enough to celebrate those differences, inspired me and countless others to put down roots and call Tacoma ‘home,’” Lee wrote in her application.
She was sworn in at the end of Friday’s meeting.
What’s next in the process
Two more seats on the Board need to be filled and the process will remain open to applicants until both positions are appointed. The remaining 18 applicants who have already submitted applications are still in the running for the other vacant positions.
Interested applicants can find more information here on the process, which requires submitting an online application, two letters of reference and a resume.
Metro Parks’ longest serving commissioner, Tim Reid, died Dec. 12 after 28 years of service and his position is the next to be filled. Reid’s term ends in December 2025.
Commissioner Rosie Ayala’s resignation is effective Dec. 31 so she can start work as an elected member of the Pierce County Council.
Ayala’s term ends Dec. 31, 2027, but her appointed successor will have to run in the regular 2025 election to fulfill her entire term.
Here is an updated timeline for selecting the remaining two commissioners:
- Jan. 13: During the first Park Board meeting of the year, Commissioners plan to select which applicants to advance to the interview round for Reid’s position.
- Week of Feb. 3: A special meeting will be held to conduct interviews for Reid’s seat, with the exact date to be determined.
- Feb. 10: Commissioners will discuss the qualifications of the finalists and appoint Reid’s successor.
- Feb. 24: Commissioners will discuss which applicants to move forward for interviews for Ayala’s position.
- Week of March 3: A special meeting will be held to conduct interviews, with the exact date to be determined.
- March 10: Commissioners will discuss the qualifications of the finalists and appoint Ayala’s replacement.
Metro Parks Tacoma encourages inclusion, diversity, equity and access by striving to recognize, respect and include differences in ability, age, creed, culture, ethnicity, gender, gender identity, race, religion, sexual orientation, size, and socioeconomic characteristics in the parks, recreation and zoological profession.
The Board of Park Commissioners, which is the policymaking body for the park district, desires to lead by example and will fill vacancies on the board by adding members of our community that broaden the current board make-up.
Metro Parks was established as the state’s first independent parks agency in 1907 and manages more than 2,900 acres of land. That includes 80 parks and regional attractions like Point Defiance Zoo & Aquarium, Northwest Trek Wildlife Park, Fort Nisqually Living History Museum and the W.W. Seymour Conservatory. The Park District offers hundreds of recreational, environmental and zoological programs that encourage people to play, learn and grow.
