Founder: Lillian Riley

Lillian Riley is a visionary community activist and co-founder of Groundswell NW, a highly successful non-profit organization dedicated to creating and protecting parks and habitat in Ballard, one of Seattle's most congested and underserved neighborhoods. Her outspoken, tireless activity has inspired others to actively support community revitalization projects.

With patience, tenacity, and mentoring skill, her work with Groundswell NW has been catalytic in bringing more than $5,000,000 of public and private funds to Ballard since 1996 in support of volunteers who have envisioned, created, or substantially refurbished thirteen public park projects.

Now in her seventies, Lillian raised four children with her husband Jerry. Lillian worked in different capacities with the Seattle School District over a span of forty years, including teaching high school biology and coordinating citywide campaigns to pass school district operations levies. Lillian took extended periods of time off to raise her young children. Lillian credits her years as an early volunteer with the King County League of Women Voters for honing her research, community organizing, and political skills.

Lillian is a self-starter. As a young PTSA member, Lillian worked on and led many projects to raise money for school activities. Lillian started the Ballard branch of the League of Women Voters. She worked on many political campaigns, managing several. Lillian served on the League of Women Voter's bureau for seven years.

Throughout her years of community work, when a public service was not available, Lillian worked to develop such a service. For example, Lillian wanted night school opportunities in her neighborhood in Seattle. With a neighbor, Lillian started the Ballard Community School. She and her friend co-managed the school for five years.

In 1989 Lillian began the work to create Groundswell NW when the Seattle School District proposed to sell the former Webster Elementary School and the entire city block. Lillian alerted her neighbors about the proposed sale. Webster's schoolyard was the one of the few open spaces available in Ballard. Through the efforts of Lillian and several of her neighbors, the sale did not go forward. Over the following six years, the group worked to create a small park in a corner of the property.