Page Knudsen Cowles

Page Knudsen Cowles was an investment professional in the financial services industry during the 1980’s. She has been an active volunteer in the Twin Cities for many years and has served on the boards of the Children’s Theater Company, Planned Parenthood Minnesota/South Dakota and Graywolf Press, a nationally acclaimed literary publisher. She currently is a trustee of St. Paul Academy and Summit School; serves on the board of Unity Avenue Foundation, a family foundation; and is a director of Lawrence Creek, LLC, a private investment company. In addition to serving as Chair of the national board of The Trust for Public Land (TPL), she is also the past chair of the board of The Conservation Campaign, TPL’s 501(c)(4) lobbying affiliate. She serves as President of Madison Valley Park Foundation in Seattle, WA and as Managing Director of Knudsen Vineyards, LLC, a family-owned wine grape growing concern in Dundee, OR. Ms. Cowles is a native of Seattle, Washington. She received her B.A. from Yale College (New Haven, CT), her M.B.A. from Harvard University (Cambridge, MA) and her CFA from the Institute of Chartered Financial Analysts.

Background and expertise: Page is a long-time member of the national board of the Trust for Public Land (TPL), an organization working nationwide to create parks and conserve land for people to enjoy ensuring healthy, livable communities for generations to come. She joined the board in 2000, served as Chair from 2010 – 2016, and is immediate past chair and a board member of The Trust for Public Land’s Action Fund, TPL’s separate 501(c)(4) lobbying affiliate. On the local level, she is a founding member of TPL’s Minnesota Advisory Board and a past Chair.

On behalf of the Knudsen family, she is Managing Partner of Knudsen Vineyards in Dundee, OR and President of Madison Valley Park Foundation, which stewarded Julia Lee’s Park in Seattle for 23 years until its donation to the city in late 2016.

Page was an investment professional in the financial services industry during the 1980’s, and a founder and partner in Ruminator Books Press, an independent trade book publishing company, during the 1990’s. An active volunteer in the Twin Cities for many years, Page has served on the boards of the Children’s Theater Company, Planned Parenthood Minnesota/South Dakota, St. Paul Academy and Summit School, an independent school in St. Paul, MN, and Graywolf Press, a nationally acclaimed literary book publisher, where she currently serves as a member of its National Council. Recently, she joined the Board of Trustees at the Minneapolis Institute of Art (Mia). In addition, she serves on the Board of Advisors for the Yale School of Management in New Haven, CT.

A native of Seattle, Washington, Page received her B.A. from Yale College, her M.B.A. from Harvard University and is a retired Chartered Financial Analyst. Page possesses boundless energy. She has many interests and connects genuinely with friends and everyone she meets. She is married to Jay Cowles and they have three young adult children.

Why I believe in protecting land and creating parks: “It’s about a connection to nature for me. I like to be outside and feel the elements—the sun on my face and the wind at my back. I think nature grounds us in a way that is important for human beings. As a child I hiked and camped a lot, and my memories of the places that we went as a family remain very special to me.”

Why I support The Trust for Public Land: “The work is relatively permanent in an ever-changing world. When we create a park, it stays there. We ask communities what is important to them, and we help them realize their vision. When the space is complete, people feel a sense of ownership, empowering them to be committed long-term stewards.”