Tamara's professional background is in nonprofit management and development. She has managed and raised support for educational organizations, and was executive director of a community foundation serving Williamson County, Texas before joining Girlstart. Before her move to Texas in late 2005, Tamara was executive director of a nonprofit that served more than 11,000 Chicago teachers and children every week.

Tamara is passionate about creating educational programs that improve teaching and learning, as well as maintaining civic vitality. She received her Ph.D. in Art History at Charles University in Prague, and earned M.A. and B.A. degrees in Art History from School of the Art Institute and Ohio State University, respectively. She has taught at the graduate level at School of the Art Institute of Chicago, the Central European University, and the Prague College of Studies in Art and Architecture.