Tamara King is the Chief Equity and Engagement Officer for Richland Library. In her role, she is tasked with the development and support of the library’s equity, diversity and inclusion initiatives, programs and partnerships, ensuring community engagement efforts reach underserved and marginalized populations.

Tamara also supervises the Departments of Marketing and Communications, Outreach, Social Work and Development which supports the Richland Library Friends and Foundation along with the library volunteer program.

In addition to her role leading the library’s equity, diversity and inclusion (EDI) efforts, Tamara also supports the library’s award-winning Let’s Talk Race Team. Through Tamara’s leadership the team has held discussions surrounding race, women’s rights and social justice for more than 4,000 participants and helped raise nearly $200,000 to support EDI initiatives and programming at the library.

She has nearly two decades of experience in broadcast television, public relations, reputation management, marketing, strategic communications, media and crisis communication training and program management.

Tamara was recently selected by the Post and Courier Newspaper as one of the top 12 Black Leaders to Know in South Carolina. She is a nationally and locally recognized award-winning public relations professional and was recognized as a 2019 Library Journal Mover and Shaker for her role in Richland Library’s race, equity and social awareness work. She has won communication awards from the International Association of Business Communicators of South Carolina and the South Carolina Chapter of Public Relations Society of America. Tamara has also won a National Bronze Telly Award as host and producer of the nationally-recognized public affairs show Richland Revealed.

Tamara has a degree in Journalism and Mass Communication, a Master’s degree in Library and Information Science (MLIS) from the University of South Carolina and an Accreditation in Public Relations certification (APR).