After Founder Chris Yanov stepped down, the Board of Reality Changers launched the search in the early winter. Steve Ortiz, who is the former Chief Operating Officer of Texas Roadhouse and current Board Member, chaired the search committee. “We brought in CStone & Associates to perform a nationwide search,” he said. “We were looking for someone who had experience with more than just leadership. We wanted a leader who could build a Culture First organization, someone with the vision to take Reality Changers into the future.” Boehm added: “Tamara impressed the search committee and the board with her many years developing the capacity of Posse, Los Angeles. Her strengths as a strategic, disciplined and charismatic leader are widely known and praised.”
“While I loved the Posse Foundation and its focus on helping 12th graders prepare for college, I am attracted to Reality Changers’ mission to support 8th through 11th graders, some of the most vulnerable students with academic potential,” Craver remarked after the Board’s vote. “I look forward to working with such a passionate, intelligent, and dedicated staff.”
Numerous organizations have recognized Craver’s commitment to education, including the LA Business Journal and the Black Women Lawyers Association of Los Angeles. In 2011, Los Angeles Magazine selected her as one of the 50 Most Inspirational Women in Los Angeles. She was a Ralph M. Parsons Foundation Fellow (2012). She is completing a master’s degree in organizational leadership at Gonzaga University and she received her Bachelor of Arts in history and psychology from the University of California, Los Angeles.