Tamara Garrett

BP America Inc.

Director, Supplier Diversity

Tamara joined the U. S. Navy in 1988 after high school and served in the Far East (Yokosuka, Japan) until she was transferred back to the U. S. for college. She attended Florida A&M University and received a B.S. in Journalism and a M.B.A. In 1998 after completing graduate school, Tamara went to work for Hewlett-Packard (HP) Company as a supply chain professional. She worked for HP, and its divestiture Agilent Technologies, for eight years during which she completed her law degree at Georgia State University (GSU) Law School. As a law student, she participated in a commercial arbitration study abroad program and was named as an Urban Fellow of the Environmental Law program at GSU. While balancing full-time work and part-time law school, she held increasingly responsible global roles at HP.

Tamara left Corporate America briefly to start a mediation firm and teach online courses for the University of Phoenix system. After experiencing entrepreneurship and teaching, Tamara moved to Texas to work as a Contracts Consultant for Dell, Inc. In 2007, she transitioned to the Energy Sector by taking a supply chain position with BP. During the almost 14 years with BP she has held increasingly responsible roles in the US and Oman, served on the core team of the BP Veterans BRG for several years and completed her Doctorate in Business Administration. She has also continued her passion for learning by obtaining a few certifications and other achievements. She holds a Professional Supply Chain Management Certificate from Arizona State University, a certified member designation from the International Association of Contract and Commercial Management (IACCM) and is recognized by the Institute for Supply Management (ISM) as a Certified Purchasing Manager (C.P.M.) and a Certified Professional in Supply Management (CPSM). She has also recently completed the requirements to be a Certified Instructor/Facilitator.

Tamara also enjoys serving the community. She has volunteered as a Guardian Ad Litem in Florida and a Court Appointed Special Advocate in Colorado (both are child advocacy roles). She has also held leadership roles in several non-profits including, being a past Board Chair for Africa’s Children’s Fund, Inc. (an international non-profit supporting children and families on the African continent); the Founder & Executive Director of The Environmental Justice League, Inc. More recently Tamara was named as one of Florida A&M’s 125 Outstanding Alumni of the Quasquicentennial (the 125th Anniversary of the University). She, her son and daughter reside in Houston, TX and enjoy playing and watching all kinds of sports and traveling internationally together.