Bio

Tamara is an environmentalist focused on equity, access and community. She develops skill building programs and creates multimedia campaigns to dismantle privlege and increase opportunities for vulnerable populations to access healthy air, clean energy and a toxic free economy at the local, regional and national level.

Tamara casts a wide net in service to the environmental community. She leads the Environmental Grantmakers Association (EGA) as its CEO and President. EGA represents over 200 foundations globally, holding approximately $200 billion in assets and giving more than $2 billion annually to environmental causes. She is the founder of Climate Critical, a visionary new organization supporting the development of the next generation of climate leaders.

Tamara drives mission critical work and organizational investments to build a multiracial, multi-generational climate movement that is ready to hold leaders accountable to the long view of justice.

Among her roles, Tamara serves as an advisor for the Yale Center for Environmental Justice, is a foundation trustee and director on non profit Boards including of Friends of the Earth, Climate Refugees and Generation Green. She is a senior advisor to the Green Leadership Trust.

Previously, she served as the North America Director at 350.org and 350 Action as the leader of programming. Before 350, Tamara was the executive director of the Maryland Environmental Health Network (MdEHN), in Baltimore, Maryland. As its leader she promoted the elimination of environmental threats to human health through facilitation of coalitions led by community and supported by health practitioners and environmental advocates.

Highlights at MdEHN include conception and development of an environmental justice digest of statewide policy through the lenses of equity, access, and justice. The digest was a resource for state legislators alongside a groundbreaking educational web series on human health and environmental impacts on issues ranging from community solar, to transportation and natural gas infrastructure. The series amplified the perspectives of community members in regional policy.

As a state policy leader, Tamara cultivated groundswell support for legislation to include health impact assessments as standard at the Public Service Commission and co-founded the Healthy Green Maryland Amendment Initiative to define healthy communities and provide generational protections against disproportionate climate impacts within the Maryland constitution. Tamara was the chief architect of the Baltimore City Climate Resolution, which passed in the City Council unanimously in response to the US withdrawal from the Paris Climate Accords.

Tamara's public service has included chairing the Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments: Air and Climate Public Advisory Committee, where she advocated for meaningful engagement and responsive public resources. Additionally, she was chairwoman of the Board of Women’s Voices for the Earth, which supports science-based advocacy to give voice to women fighting to protect their health from toxic chemicals.

Tamara has over two decades of cross sector environmental experience. Prior to moving to the non-profit sector, she held several positions in state and local government including employment with the New York City Department of Environmental Protection, the Maryland Energy Administration and District Department of Energy and Environment in Washington, DC, among others. Tamara had the honor of serving as the Senior Law Clerk to the Honorable Douglas A. Brady, and his predecessor, Senior Sitting Judge Julio A. Brady (deceased) at the Superior Court of the US Virgin Islands on St. Croix.

Tamara developed an early aptitude for environment and justice issues through internships with the Advisory Council of Historic Preservation, The Environmental Protection Agency, the Center on Race, Poverty and Environment, Natural Resources Defense Council.

Tamara is a long range thinker. She is committed to environmental advocacy in support of the poor and chronically under-served. Over her lifetime she has worked relentlessly to promote equity in environmental protection and enforcement. Her work has paid particular attention to community mobilization, opportunity access, and reduction of health disparities.

Tamara’s career goal is to remain a lifelong learner, bridge builder, and an approachable thought leader.

Her hobbies include travel, yoga, slowly reading books about energy, politics, and neuroscience, and writing about civil society.