ST. PAUL, Minn. - In April, the St. Paul District welcomed its first female chief of operations, Tamara Cameron. No stranger to the St. Paul District Corps of Engineers or to operations, Cameron has been with the district since 2002 and has been deputy chief of operations since 2016.
Cameron has a background in engineering with a bachelor’s degree in civil engineering form the University of Minnesota and a master’s degree in public administration from Troy University. She began her career as an environmental engineer for the U.S. Navy and served in Okinawa, Japan, as an environmental engineer for the U.S. Marine Corps.
It was working for the Federal Highway Administration as a project development engineer that brought Cameron back to Minnesota. “People from Minnesota, they always find their way back home,” said Cameron. Cameron worked in a predominantly male field until she came to the regulatory branch in St. Paul District. In regulatory she worked as a project manager for special projects and became the regulatory branch chief in 2009.
Cameron said, being a female in a male-dominated field like engineering has helped her to be successful. “I’ve had to work harder; I have to try to exceed expectations. I was lucky to have a lot of good mentors, starting in college, that provided me with support and encouragement.”
Cameron said she hadn’t given much thought to the fact that she is the first female chief of operations, she just knew that it was one of the best jobs in the Corps. “I grew up on a farm with no brothers,” said Cameron, “whatever the work was, I did it. We didn’t go get extra help. I’ve always been focused on hard work and determination.”
It was on the family farm where Cameron came to share her mother’s passion for horses. Horses are still her hobby and have been a way to connect with the community. She volunteers for Courage Kenny Riders, a horseback riding program for youth and children with disabilities. She has volunteered there for 15 years and enjoys seeing the transformation of the kids from the first session to the last.
Cameron’s community involvement also includes volunteering with her county’s mounted patrol, which includes supporting the sheriff’s office with search and rescue operations, participating in parades and visiting schools. She is part of a local trail riding club, Grant trail rangers, which advocates for trail networks on public and private lands. Additionally, she is on the board of Minnesota polocrosse, polocrosse is a combination of polo and lacrosse.
Cameron and her husband, Tim Anderson, are both from Minnesota and have been married for 27 years. They have a 21-year old son.
On her selection as chief of operations, Cameron said, “I am honored, and I do feel a responsibility to do well and to not disappoint the leaders that have believed in me and supported my journey to division chief.”
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