Get to Know Anne Hoyt Taff, New Executive Director Minneapolis Parks Foundation

Article by Becky Fillinger, photos provided

Anne Hoyt TaffAnne Hoyt Taff took over the reins at the Minneapolis Parks Foundation as Executive Director in early July. We talked to her about her immediate and longer-term plans for supporting Minneapolis’ parks. The Trust for Public Land announced in May that Minneapolis climbed to second place on the annual ParkScore index – keep reading to learn Taff’s plans for keeping our parks well-funded and aligned with community vision.

Q:  What are your top priorities for the first 100 days in your role?

A:  I work through relationships and my approach is to pursue opportunities in partnership with others – so the priorities for my first 100 (and 1,000…) days at the Minneapolis Parks Foundation will stem from what I learn and observe through conversation and connection with people who are enjoying, supporting, and promoting Minneapolis parks. I know already from my initial conversations that our commitment to the Transforming North Commons Park Campaign is a top priority. We are committed to raising $20M in philanthropic funding towards this transformative investment in one of Minneapolis’s oldest and most iconic neighborhood parks, which will include a new fieldhouse, an updated rec center and new water park.

Q:  Your prior non-profit positions, most recently as the Vice President of Partnerships at the St. Paul & Minnesota Foundation, required excellent partnership and collaboration skills. How do you envision that background will come into play at the Minneapolis Parks Foundation?

A:  My skills are, of course, a compilation of the support and mentorship I have received throughout my career. As I think about this question, the first thing that stands out is a piece of advice I received over a decade ago from a friend: Don’t wait to learn everything and know everyone before you dig into the work – pick up the phone and start connecting. I have applied this advice at the start of every new job and project and will do so now at the Parks Foundation. By not waiting, my on-the-job learning can be done through relationships and in partnership with my new colleagues, our partners at the Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board, parks supporters and Minneapolis residents. In my experience, these relationships will strengthen my ability to serve as a facilitator for the Parks Foundation and the Minneapolis Park system. Within this system, I hope to be someone who can make connections and engage a diverse range of stakeholders in solving problems, whether it be raising public and private funds for critical infrastructure or fostering more inclusive programming.

North Commons Park aerial rendering

North Commons Park

Youth Council Meeting at North Commons Park

Q:  Do you think that park foundations can broaden community engagement? If yes, what would that look like in Minneapolis?

A:  Yes! This answer to this question should always be yes – from anyone, doing anything! For the Minneapolis Parks Foundation this looks like consciously expanding the net of resources and voices involved in planning, funding, and enjoying Minneapolis parks and public spaces. We can do this by creating spaces for affinity groups to come together and inform this shared work, such as the Youth Council that is gathering around the North Commons Park redevelopment project. As a Minneapolis resident with two small children, I’m thinking about how we might meet parents (active users of parks!) where they’re at – likely a neighborhood park. I’m also thinking about our vast network of corporate and business partners who rely on the strength of Minneapolis parks to attract and retain workers.

Q:  How have parks been a part of your life, and why are they important to you? 

A:  I grew up in Falcon Heights, the daughter of two urban and regional planners, so I have a deep appreciation for civic spaces and their essential role in our communities and public life. I got my start playing mini-soccer when I was three at a community park, and I worked for Roseville Parks and Recreation throughout high school. For me, parks are also a connection to nature. Growing up, we visited nature centers, hiked and camped regularly and after college I worked year-round at an environmental education center in northern Minnesota. I met my partner while working in the Boundary Waters. So now, I love the chance to reconnect with nature in our parks, to step inside a stand of beautiful trees and feel a small bit of wilderness in the city. 

Q:  Let’s ask a specific (and selfish) question: Will you fund additional pickleball courts? 

A:  Ha. Is there a community need for pickleball courts? I’m sure that’s a complicated question and one that I will hear a lot about from folks in the next year! As with any park asset, it’s essential to have courts that are high-quality, safe and accessible. But where and when depends on what is needed in community at this moment. I appreciate that the Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board is specifically managing both its financial resources and planning capacity to address racial and economic equity across our city. We need to have a critical eye on how disparities in funding and energy for parks projects might perpetuate the broader racial and economic gaps we are facing in our city.

With that in mind, pickleball courts and play are an important part of our parks system today and one we have supported. In 2023, a People for Parks Fund grant helped provide free pickle ball equipment and instruction to new players at Folwell Park.

Q:  We wish you much success! How may we follow your news?

A:  You can sign up for our monthly E-Newsletter at mplsparksfundation.org, where we highlight upcoming events and programs, news and updates on current park projects (including North Commons Park), and stories from park-users and supporters.

You can also find us on Facebook and Instagram, LinkedIn and X @mplsparksfndtn.