Graduate School
Fletcher School of International Law and Diplomacy, currently; School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS), University of London, MA

Undergraduate School
The American University

Fellowship
Massachusetts Executive Office of Economic Development

Supervisor
Rory C. O’Hanlon, Deputy Chief of Staff and Director of Policy

Mentors
Liz Graham, Chief Operating Officer, Indigo Agriculture and Rappaport Institute Advisory Board member and Deepa Krishna, Managing Director, DPK, LLC. and 2009 Rappaport Public Policy Fellow

Biography
As the Healey-Driscoll Administration establishes its 4-year Economic Development Policy, Tamara will design and conduct key informant interviews (KIIs) with quasi-public agencies that focus on growing a strong small business development climate and small business owners themselves to assess any positive or negative cause-and-effect relationships that might be overlooked in existing capital programs (i.e., loan, grant, venture capital investing) and technical assistance services. Tamara will also conduct a scan of other States’ economic development strategies involving the advancement of small businesses. Findings from the qualitative research and Regional Economic Development Planning Sessions will be used to develop a report on the top key issues, general themes, what other States have done to propose initiatives; and recommendations to guide Massachusetts’ Economic Development Plan.