Traci Verardo-Torres, Founder
Traci Verardo-Torres is an experienced public affairs professional who creates, designs, and implements successful strategies and plans for advancing policy and organizational goals. Before founding TVT Consulting, Traci served as Vice President of Government Affairs for the California State Parks Foundation (CSPF) for over 7 years and was on staff with CSPF for more than 10 years. Traci established and led the organization’s portfolios in lobbying, legislative affairs, grassroots activism, policy, and nonprofit support and development. During the state park closure threats of 2008, 2009, and 2011, Traci led successful campaigns to generate statewide opposition to park closures and result in additional state funding to avoid closures. She also drafted and spearheaded the successful passage of legislation allowing nonprofit organizations to manage state parks. She was the lead author of the 2011 Park Excellence Report, A Vision for Excellence for California's State Parks, and incepted and developed CSPF’s Technical Assistance Center, which provides capacity-building support, tools, and consulting to nonprofit park-supporting organizations.
Traci has a deep history in policy and legislative work, as well as nonprofit management and strategic communications. She worked as legislative staff for former State Senator Jack O’Connell after completing a prestigious Senate Fellowship with the California State Senate in the mid 1990s. Traci also served as Executive Director of the California Tobacco Control Alliance where she managed a coalition of health care, public health, insurance, and policy representatives focused on increasing tobacco cessation success rates, policies, and insurance coverage in California. She previously worked as a public relations executive with Ogilvy Public Relations and managed accounts for public agency and nonprofit clients on topics including early childhood development, water policy, teen pregnancy prevention, and sexual assault prevention.
Traci earned a Masters in Public Policy and Administration from CSU Sacramento, and a Bachelors in Political Science from UC San Diego. She resides in Sacramento with her husband and two active daughters.
Traci has a deep history in policy and legislative work, as well as nonprofit management and strategic communications. She worked as legislative staff for former State Senator Jack O’Connell after completing a prestigious Senate Fellowship with the California State Senate in the mid 1990s. Traci also served as Executive Director of the California Tobacco Control Alliance where she managed a coalition of health care, public health, insurance, and policy representatives focused on increasing tobacco cessation success rates, policies, and insurance coverage in California. She previously worked as a public relations executive with Ogilvy Public Relations and managed accounts for public agency and nonprofit clients on topics including early childhood development, water policy, teen pregnancy prevention, and sexual assault prevention.
Traci earned a Masters in Public Policy and Administration from CSU Sacramento, and a Bachelors in Political Science from UC San Diego. She resides in Sacramento with her husband and two active daughters.
Traci’s achievements have been recognized with the following awards:
- 2012 William Penn Mott Award, Sierra Club California
- 2010 California Conservation Achievement Award, California Council of Land Trusts
- 2010 Inspiration Award, California League of Park Associations