Prior to assuming her current position, Tamara Bohannon served in various executive leadership, communications, and fundraising roles with organizations such as Catholic Charities Community Services, Boys Hope Girls Hope of Arizona, and the American Cancer Society. Her extensive experience spans over 30 years in the nonprofit industry, allowing her to develop a deep understanding of the challenges and opportunities within the health, housing, and aging sectors in her role as the first female president and chief executive officer of the Foundation for Senior Living (FSL).
FSL is a health and housing nonprofit dedicated to making Arizona a safe place to age. The organization’s mission is to provide home and community-based services and develop energy-efficient, affordable housing to promote health, independence and dignity for all.
Bohannon oversees programs that serve 40,000 Arizonans statewide to address the barriers to quality healthcare and housing. Using a genuine relationship to fundraising, Bohannon has been instrumental to increasing revenue by 15% in just her first year with the organization and has led a culture turnaround through the One FSL initiative.
She has nicknamed FSL’s workforce TrueBlue, calling for priorities that include investing in human capital, and embracing technology and a culture of philanthropy while increasing awareness. Her dedication to improving company culture has driven a decrease in 60 openings during the hiring crisis to currently six openings at the agency.
Bohannon has furthered the nonprofit’s mission of making Arizona a safe place to age by serving as an elected member of the Governor’s Interagency and Community Council on Homelessness and Housing, an executive council member for AARP Arizona, and a member of President Crow’s ASU Community Council and Age Friendly Arizona’s Leadership Team.
“Tami fearlessly tackles the less glamorous cause of aging. Aging is an inevitability that affects everyone, yet it lacks the same spotlight and support,” said her staff. “Tami, however, stands undeterred, serving as an unwavering voice advocating for the importance of initiatives addressing the challenges of aging.”
Her efforts have earned Bohannon recognition as an outstanding woman in business and most admired leader with the Phoenix Business Journal, healthcare hero with Phoenix Magazine, and award of honor recipient with Arizona LeadingAge. Under her leadership, FSL was named the top nonprofit organization in 2023 by the Phoenix Business Journal.
According to Bohannon, a successful leader takes responsibility. “For me, successful leaders show up for people and find and nurture their potential,” she said. “I always remember the little things regardless of how busy life is, and I work to never forget a name, a face, a birthday or a special occasion. This allows me to build authentic relationships that are built on love, compassion, dignity and respect.”
