Tamara Toles O’Laughlin

Tamara Toles O’Laughlin is an internationally recognized environmental advocate and

climate strategist focused on people and planet. Her niche in environmental work is

developing high impact programs and multimedia campaigns to dismantle privilege and

increase opportunities for vulnerable populations to access healthy air, clean energy,

and a toxic free economy at the local, regional and national level.

 

Tamara casts a wide net in service to community. Among her activities, she is an

Advisory Board Member at Climate Refugees, and Senior Advisor and former co-chair

of the Green Leadership Trust, which builds a more powerful environmental movement

by expanding the leadership of Black, Indigenous and people of color serving on US

environmental nonprofit boards. She is a member of the World Economic Forum,

National Cities, executive working group. She is a term Chair of the Metropolitan

Washington Council of Governments, Air and Climate Public Advisory Committee.

Tamara recently concluded a six year term as the chairwoman of the Board of Directors

of Women’s Voices for the Earth which disrupts industry standards by forcing

ingredient disclosure and the elimination of toxic chemicals from personal care

products.

 

In June 2021 Tamara was appointed President and CEO of the Environmental

Grantmakers Association. Previously, Tamara served as the North America Director at

350.org and 350 Action, where she drove regional strategy in the United States and

Canada. As the leader of 350’s programming she led mission critical work and

organizational investments to build a multiracial, multi-generational climate movement

capable of holding leaders accountable to science and justice. Prior to joining 350.org.

Tamara was executive director of the Maryland Environmental Health Network in

Baltimore, Maryland, where she championed its mission to promote the elimination of

environmental threats to human health.

 

Tamara is a thought leader working across sectors to support inclusive climate change

action. She serves on the Advisory Board of Climate Power 2020, and is a member of

Politico’s sustainability forum, The Long Game, where she provides insight on issues of

climate change and social responsibility.

 

She graduated from the Vermont Law School in 2009, with a Juris Doctor and Master of

Environmental Law and Policy with a concentration in energy generation and carbon

constraint.

 

Tamara has worked for two decades to embed the principles of environmental justice

into environmental work, with attention to community capacity building, mobilization,

equity in enforcement, and environmental health.

 

Over the course of her career she has held full time, fellowship and intern positions

with distinguished organizations including the District Department of Energy and

Environment in Washington DC, the Maryland Energy Administration Advisory

Council of Historic Preservation, The Environmental Protection Agency, the Center on

Race, Poverty and Environment, Natural Resources Defense Council, and the New York

City Department of Environmental Protection, among others.