March 18, 2026 3:50 a.m.  

The Ford Family Foundation has announced the future addition of Taylor Smiley Wolfe as its first Director of Policy.

A TFFF release said her hiring will help build the foundation’s emerging strategy to advance systems and policy changes to support rural communities.

Foundation Chief Policy and Public Affairs Officer Tim Inman said, “Taylor brings a unique policy-based, data-centered approach to her work and combines it with pragmatic knowledge of the policymaking process”. Inman said, “She is deeply committed to making an impact and approaches her work with humility and care for both her colleagues and the communities she serves”.

Smiley Wolfe has more than 13 years of experience in public policy and government leadership focused on outcomes for families and communities. Most recently, she served as Deputy Chief of Staff for Governor Tina Kotek. There she helped lead statewide initiatives to improve education outcomes, strengthen behavioral health systems, reduce homelessness and increase the production of homes people can afford.

Smiley Wolfe previously served as Housing and Homelessness Initiative Director for the Governor’s Office, Policy Director for Home Forward, and as Policy Director for the Oregon House Speaker. Over the course of her career, she has helped advance major legislation to improve early childhood and K-12 education outcomes and to increase housing choices and affordability for Oregonians.

The release said her experience working across public and nonprofit sectors to translate policy goals into practical solutions will help advance the foundation’s commitment to strengthening opportunities for children and families in rural Oregon and Siskiyou County, California.

Smiley Wolfe said, “Families know what they need and I am thrilled to join The Ford Family Foundation’s work to amplify their voices and drive the change they want to see for their kids”

Smiley Wolfe will join the foundation’s policy and public affairs team at the end of April.