Tamera Kohler

Bio

Tamera Kohler, Chief Executive Officer of the Regional Task Force on Homelessness (RTFH), has 19 years of senior leadership roles in state and local government specializing in poverty and homelessness, nonprofit, and mortgage lending experience, including spending more than eight years helping lead nationally-noted homelessness reduction programs in the State of Utah. Since assuming the role of CEO in November 2018, Ms. Kohler has led the RTFH in its growth as a trusted leader and expert for the San Diego County region.

Her strategic planning expertise and deep knowledge of the issues and proven solutions have framed the organization’s growth, strengthened connections to the community, and fostered trusted relationships with government, civic leaders, and service providers alike.  She has attracted top talent to her executive team and has increased funding for the San Diego Region to address homelessness by $40 million annually, which she and her team administer to programs throughout the region.

At RTFH she has created a unique two-board structure to help ensure that homelessness is a rare, brief and nonrecurring issue for people. One, a 31-member advisory board that brings together a deep array of lived experience, government, civic and nonprofit leaders to enact policy and best practices to address and end homelessness. The other, a smaller non-profit board formed of executives focused on fiscal oversight and philanthropy.

Ms. Kohler joined the RTFH after having served in Seattle’s Human Services Department as Division Director of Homeless Strategy and Investment where she oversaw 45 employees, a $58 million budget, and the implementation of a new homeless strategy. Before Seattle, she served eight years at the State of Utah as the Assistant Division Director of Housing and Community Development (HCD) for the Utah Department of Workforce Services. There she oversaw federal and state funding and strategic planning for CSBG, CDBG, HOPWA, HOME, LIHEP, WAP, EITC, FEMA, TANF, the State housing loan fund, State homeless trust fund, and the Emergency Food Network.  She staffed and facilitated the Utah Lt. Governor’s Homeless committee with all department heads on the board and oversaw the Community Impact Board fund, including the state mineral rights resources.

Ms. Kohler has served on national committees and panels and as the Vice President of the National Association for State Community Services Programs board. She has a strong track record in community engagement, strategic planning, contracting, and the data-driven system improvements critical today to achieve measurable results and ensure resources are allocated wisely. She is well known and a trusted, effective change agent with indispensable big picture, system-level planning expertise and brings a unique connection and network to the highest level of national and state leaders in homelessness.

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