Tamarah Holmes, Ph.D., is the director for the Office of Broadband at DHCD and has been in the role since September 2019. She has spent 20 years in the public sector in the field of community and economic development in New York, New Jersey, and Chesterfield, Virginia.

Dr. Holmes has played an instrumental role in the creation of the Virginia Telecommunication Initiative (VATI) having served as the lead in the development of the program that has grown from a $1 million to a $750 million appropriation since 2017. Prior to her current role, she was the Associate Director for the Policy and Strategic Development office in the Community Development Division at DHCD.

In addition to serving as broadband director, she serves as the Virginia Appalachian Regional Commission (ARC) program manager, overseeing ARC’s economic and community development programming in 25 counties and 8 independent cities in the Appalachian region of Virginia.

Dr. Holmes holds a master’s degree in urban planning and analysis with a concentration in housing and community development. She received her doctorate in public policy and administration from Virginia Commonwealth University, located in Richmond, VA.