TACOMA, WA – Rosie Ayala has always been a bridge.
Growing up with immigrant parents, she was often the one who helped navigate life in America. Her work history enabled her to connect Tacoma students with resources to graduate. Then when the COVID-19 pandemic hit, she knew she could help bridge the gap between government and what the community expressed they needed.
That’s what led Ayala to run for an elected position with the Metro Parks Tacoma Board of Commissioners and win. In 2022, she was sworn in and became the first Latina board member in the park district’s history.
For the last three years, Ayala has advocated for inclusiveness, built community engagement and worked with neighborhoods on projects pivotal to the well-being of Tacomans.
Her resignation from Metro Parks is effective Tuesday but her commitment to public service is far from over. After a general election win, Ayala begins work on the Pierce County Council at the turn of the new year.
“Though I’m sad to leave Metro Parks, I know this new role will not take me too far away,” Ayala said. “I’m excited for the possibilities of aligned and complimentary work across partnerships and other government agencies so that we can bring more to residents across the county.”
Ayala has always wanted to help others and ensure levels of service across the board, especially those who are underserved in the community. Her belief in equity, inclusiveness and improvement aligned well with Metro Parks’ values.
With every decision that came to the Park Board, she asked herself: Who are we not hearing from? Is there a helpful perspective from those not going to our parks and facilities? Are people not speaking up or are their voices being drowned out?
“If we really want to be inclusive in our work, we must be intentional about how we reach out to those that don’t fit the mold of our practices,” Ayala said.
Some of the things Metro Parks has done to be welcoming and inclusive that Ayala is proud of:
- Policy review work and proposing to remove unwelcoming language such as a shift from ‘citizen’ to ‘resident’ and removing unnecessary gender pronouns.
- Opening up community center space for Ukrainian immigrants which allowed programming to destigmatize loud noises for children, so they won’t be frightened during school drills.
- Hosted Community Welcome Tours in Ukrainian, Korean, and Spanish to familiarize community members with the diverse resources, amenities, and programs that are available to them.
- Partnered with local groups to put on cultural programming and events where community members are leading efforts and Metro Parks supports, such as Juneteenth, Tet New Year and Dia de los Muertos.
Ayala attended community workshops to hear firsthand what people wanted, help explain the importance of various projects and ensure transparency. That’s why she was proud when attendance at the Co-Create to Recreate workshops almost quadrupled – it showed Metro Parks was successfully engaging with community and that community wanted to help shape the vision for future parks.
When the community expressed displeasure about the plan for Stanley Playfield, Ayala did not hesitate to stand up at a community feedback session and apologize. She supported partnerships with other agencies like Tacoma Public Schools to push toward the creation of community schoolyards and the goal of every Tacoman living within a 10-minute walk of green space. When Fire Station 7 was proposed at South End Recreation & Adventure (SERA) Campus, three blocks from her home, she spoke with many neighbors about their needs and desires for equitable service to improve response times in South Tacoma.
Ayala’s resignation with Metro Parks goes into effect Tuesday. She will be ceremonially sworn into the Pierce County Council Jan. 7 to represent District 4, which includes parts of Tacoma, Fircrest and University Place.
“Each new commissioner brings a new perspective with questions on policy and process that makes Metro Parks better,” said Park Board President Andrea Smith. “I have appreciated Rosie’s perspectives and commitment to equity and inclusiveness. As a parks advocate, I know that she will carry that forward to make Pierce County more responsive.”
