Sophie Harris Vorhoff

Sophie Harris Vorhoff is a parks, public space, and infrastructure reuse professional with 10 years of nonprofit executive leadership experience building vibrant, equitable communities. She brings knowledge of the intersection between government, nonprofits, philanthropy, and communities. Sophie joined Trust for Public Land in 2023 as Minnesota State Director and Associate Vice President—leading the organization’s work in Minnesota and the Northwoods of Wisconsin and Michigan to create parks and protect public land where they are needed most.

Born and raised in Minneapolis, prior to joining TPL, Sophie spent 10 years downriver in New Orleans leading the post-Katrina transformation of a former canal and rail corridor into the Lafitte Greenway—the city’s premier bike and walking trail, linear park, and community connector. After joining the all-volunteer advocacy organization as a board member, she served as the first Executive Director of Friends of Lafitte Greenway, growing the organization into a community-driven conservancy with a public-private partnership and robust equity-centered community programming. Sophie believes that public land is the key to our ability to live in full, vigorous connection to our ecosystem, our community, and our bodies.

Sophie has served on the New Orleans Regional Planning Commission, the High Line Network Steering Committee, the New Orleans Complete Streets Coalition, the Greater New Orleans Water Collaborative, and NOLA Parks for All. A Summa cum laude graduate of the University of Pennsylvania, Sophie was awarded a UPenn Robert A. Fox Leadership Fellowship in community development and affordable housing development. She has been recognized as New Orleans Bike Advocate of the Year, New Orleans Magazine’s People to Watch, and Best of New Orleans’ 40 Under 40.

A lover of nature, culture, and community, you can find Sophie hiking, biking, paddling, playing in the garden, reading, and dancing. She lives in Minneapolis with her husband and son.