Tamra is a Human Resources professional who is enthusiastic about collaboration, problem solving, and taking action. While attending UC Santa Cruz, Tamra leveraged the concepts from her economics and accounting courses to successfully acquire the funding, facility, and partnerships needed to establish the first and only all student managed food pantry and lounge. Partnering with Second Harvest Food Bank and UCSC’s Center for Agroecology & Sustainable Food System’s farm, Tamra ensured that fresh produce was available for students year round. Additionally, through collaboration with the Sustainability Office and the UCSC Dining Service, she was able to organize a Food Recovery Program that diverted unexpired, pre-prepared meals from the landfill, to the pantry, to slash food waste on campus. Tamra managed the pantry and lounge for two years before graduating in 2018 with a degree in Business Management Economics with an emphasis in Accounting. At the end of her tenure, the pantry was distributing over 2,000 pounds of food a week, mobilized 300+ student volunteers, and created 10 paid student positions to assist with daily operations.
While reading A Life on Two Levels, Tamra was inspired by Josephine’s tenacity and willingness to roll up her sleeves and embark on new projects. Tamra is excited to share her enthusiasm for food access, teamwork, and management to contribute to Hidden Villa’s vision of a sustainable, healthy, and just future for all.