Tamara brings 20+ years’ experience in corporate communications, public affairs and government relations to her clients, including eight years at Canada’s top two public relations and public affairs firms and almost seven years owning and running Coast Communications and Public Affairs. Before that she spent 11 years in public service advising Provincial Ministers and Mayors in B.C.
Tamara’s main interest is how to bring an integrated set of solutions to help clients communicate with audiences, build profile and reputation. She is an expert in issues management and crisis communications, in which she frequent trains clients. As a trained social scientist (Anthropologist),Tamara is committed to using research and insights on which to base programs. Tamara’s clients have included some of B.C.'s largest companies and organizations, including marine shippers, terminals and ports, business and industry associations, regulated utilities, the energy sector,
including clean energy, natural gas and LNG projects and associations, forestry and mining companies, universities, transportation organizations, municipal governments, Indigenous Governments, not-for- profits and others.
Tamara spent seven years in B.C. Government communications, in Manager and Director roles, leading all communications for the Ministries of Energy Mines and Petroleum Resources, Transportation and the Treaty Negotiations Office and also served as communications, government relations and marketing
director for Partnerships BC (now Infrastructure BC), the provincially-owned company responsible for capital project procurement. Before that she ran a B.C.-wide consultation program for the Legislature on treaty negotiations, and spent four years advising Mayors and City Managers on Aboriginal relations and
treaty negotiations.
Tamara has honours Undergraduate and Master’s Degrees in Anthropology from UBC, focused on B.C. Indigenous Nations and contemporary and historic political and cultural issues. She worked collaboratively and lived on the lands of the Stó:lō people and her Master’s research was focused Stó:lō cultural education programing.
Tamara grew up in small-town B.C. in Penticton, and lives in East Vancouver with her husband and son. She is an avid creator, including painting, sewing and calligraphy and loves to read. She has a passion for community volunteering and governance. She is a board member of the BC Parks Foundation; former Chair of the Kettle Friendship Society Board, a mental health care and housing organization; the former Chair of the Kitsilano Neighbourhood House as well as its Fundraising Committee; the former chair of the Public Affairs Association of Canada BC Chapter and is a member of the Greater Vancouver Board of Trade, Surrey Board of Trade, Clean Energy BC, Canadian Public Relations Society, International Association of Business Communicators. She is trained in public engagement and consultation through the International Association of Public Participation (IAP2), of which she is a member.