Tamara and I joined the Axim team around the same time back in May of 2022, and she immediately left an impression on me. Her technological savvy combined with her kind yet candid approach has made her an instant hit on the Enterprise team within Axim's Enterprise, Infrastructure & Security (EI&S) business unit. For Tamara, there is no ceiling that can't be broken, no problem that can't be solved, and no stray that can't be cared for. The path that led her to the world of GIS was nothing if not impressive, littered with obstacles that she conquered with a fierce determination to pursue a career path that is authentic to herself.
Like many in the field, Tamara's initial career launch was unrelated to GIS. She took an IT job right after high school without a college degree. After working in the private industry for a little over 15 years, Tamara realized that this career path did not align with her personal or professional goals. "At one point, one of my kids asked what I did for a living, and while I could answer what I did for work on a day-to-day basis, I couldn't give an answer that I felt good about. I wanted to do work that contributed to some universal good." So she enrolled in a college program to pursue a degree in engineering with a focus on Aerospace. However, when she was about ¾ of the way through her BS program, and after already obtaining her AAS in Engineering Technology, Tamara faced a single mother's nightmare: all the remaining courses required for her program were only offered at night. Sure, this option fared well for the traditional type that held day jobs while pursuing further education with support at home,
One awe-inspiring piece of Tamara's background is her time working with the NASA Develop National Project. She started as a research team member, became the research team lead, and eventually worked up to the Arizona office's Assistant Node Manager. Her team focused on the Air Quality and Heat issues in conjunction with Maricopa County in the Phoenix area and the Departments of Health, Transportation, and Air Quality. "Using GIS and science to effect decision-making that would help improve the overall quality of life for people solidified my desire to continue working in GIS."
Tamara joined Axim around May of 2022 and immediately impressed the Enterprise team with her previous experiences and accomplishments, witty candor, and willingness to embrace any challenging task. Although Tamara is officially housed within the Managed Services team, she lends a hand wherever needed on projects needing Esri Enterprise deployments or Cloud Infrastructure Management and Maintenance in primarily AWS environments. Tamara advises fellow women in the industry, "Believe in yourself, work hard, make connections, and never diminish your accomplishments or shrink yourself for anyone. "
Tamara's ongoing desire to keep learning also translates to her free time: she is a kid at heart. Her home is filled with shelves of books and board games, puzzles and video games, action figures and video game statues, stuffed animals, and hobbies galore. She has a whole room dedicated to hobbies: sewing machines, vinyl cutters, leather crafting, whittling, and yarn, primarily for crochet, among others. Relatable to many crafters, her house has almost nothing "crafty" as décor. She shares the love of her hobbies with her family.
The acumen that Tamara brings to any team she is a part of is unparalleled. Combined with her robust background and magnetic personality, she is an exceptionally brilliant woman in GIS whom I am proud to work with.