Vicky Soukaseum is a breath of fresh air. To the newly created role of Director of Projects, she brings a powerful combination of thoughtfulness, energy, and piercing perception. She joins the staff of the Minneapolis Parks Foundation with extensive experience working in and with community, most recently as Policy Aide to Hennepin County District 1 Commissioner Jeffrey Lunde.

The Parks Foundation’s Director of Projects is a key position within the leadership team, responsible for identifying and implementing transformative park initiatives and projects, including North Commons Park redevelopment. In this pivotal role, Vicky serves as the primary liaison to our key public partners, especially the Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board, City of Minneapolis, and Hennepin County staff, as well as with other professional project consultants and community stakeholders. She supervises our Project Coordinator Shawn Lewis, and works with him and other Parks Foundation team members to develop outreach and engagement strategies that build relationships with community stakeholders and park interest groups.

While with Hennepin County, Vicky led the creation of the PLAYces to Play, an initiative to increase access to play opportunities by centering design around where kids are spending time idle and waiting, to address community concerns about safety and accessibility and encouraging healthy physical and social interaction. The county-wide effort is a partnership with national nonprofit KaBOOM! and will be launching the first of its portable play areas this summer. She was also instrumental in the creation of the 2021 inter-agency MN vs. Hate advertising campaign, which raised awareness about hate crimes in Minnesota and how to report them.

Prior to Hennepin County, Vicky held several policy positions during a successful tenure with Ramsey County, and also served with the City of Bloomington. She has a BS in Business Administration from Hamline University and is completing coursework for an MS in Business Analytics from the University of St. Thomas. She also carries professional certification in project management from the University of Minnesota. Vicky’s extensive community involvement includes serving on the board of the Northwest Hennepin Family Resource Collaborative and the Lao Center of Minnesota.

Vicky lives in North Minneapolis with her two children Leon and Quinn, and her dog Yuki. In her free time, she enjoys cooking for friends and family, reading, and traveling.

We’re delighted Vicky has joined our team – please join us in welcoming her!