Tamra Thetford
About Tamra Thetford
Tamra Thetford serves as the Director of Impact Evaluation at CNote, where she focuses on making quantitative research accessible to broader audiences. With extensive experience in community economic development and consumer finance, she has held various roles in research and program management, including significant positions at Justine PETERSEN and The Aspen Institute.
Current Role at CNote
Tamra Thetford serves as the Director of Impact Evaluation at CNote since 2021. In this role, she focuses on making quantitative analysis results accessible and actionable for broader audiences. Her expertise lies in translating complex quantitative research into understandable formats for lay audiences, which enhances the impact of the organization's initiatives.
Previous Experience at The Aspen Institute
Tamra worked at The Aspen Institute from 2000 to 2008 as a Research Projects Manager and later as a FIELD Program Manager from 2009 to 2016. During her tenure, she conducted research on emerging issues affecting low-income Americans, emphasizing informal work, job quality, and income volatility. Her experience at Aspen contributed to her understanding of community economic development.
Leadership at Justine PETERSEN
Tamra held the position of Chief Program Officer at Justine PETERSEN from 2016 to 2021. In this capacity, she managed the credit building department and led Credit Building Nation, a partnership strategy aimed at providing financial products to clients receiving financial counseling at non-lending institutions. Her leadership focused on improving lending outcomes for women of color through human-centered design research.
Educational Background
Tamra Thetford studied at American University, where she earned a Bachelor of Arts degree from 1993 to 1997. She also attended Ritsumeikan University from 1995 to 1996. Earlier, she completed her education at St. Johns Episcopal School in Guam from 1984 to 1990. Her academic background supports her expertise in community economic development and consumer finance.
Research and Community Initiatives
Tamra has been involved in various research efforts aimed at understanding the barriers faced by women of color in accessing capital. She co-authored a blog post on innovating pathways to wealth creation for women of color entrepreneurs and participated in a webinar discussing best practices for credit unions to measure and share their impact stories. Additionally, she is involved in the Wisdom Fund initiative, which focuses on increasing capital access for women of color entrepreneurs.