Tory Colvin

Need to know whether to bring an umbrella to your next meeting? Tory originally planned to become a broadcast meteorologist and went to the University of Arizona to major in Atmospheric Sciences and Meteorology. During a summer internship, she worked for several months creating the extended forecasts for the evening news at NBC-6, WTVJ in Miami.

When she moved to Washington, DC to begin grad school at Georgetown University, Tory quickly discovered that her true calling blended her love of weather with a new fondness of public policy. She worked for the American Meteorological Society's Policy Program while finishing her graduate studies in environmental policy. There, she helped organize events on Capitol Hill that brought together providers and users of Earth system science information to help develop policy recommendations.

As a senior project officer, Tory works with clients who focus on domestic and international development, health policy, and the environment. By helping them make sound technology decisions, she feels she gives them the tools they need to more effectively fulfill their missions. She is responsible for ensuring all her projects meet objectives related to cost, schedule, deliverables, scope, functionality, and quality. She maintains a sharp attention to detail -- while also being a free-thinking creative.

Tory was born and raised in Chicago and will always call that city “home.” She earned her bachelor's degree in Communications and Spanish from the University of Arizona, which included a semester in San Sebastian, Spain, to strengthen her language. Tory served as an AmeriCorps member in Tucson, where she ran eight Reading Buddies programs that helped underprivileged and Spanish-speaking children improve their reading. She graduated with a master’s in public policy (MPP) from Georgetown University’s Public Policy Institute in 2007.

Tory has written six children’s books and is actively working to get them published. She is a home improvement junkie and loves nothing more than to demo a bathroom and hang drywall on a Saturday afternoon. She even asked for a cordless finishing nail gun for Christmas – but didn’t get one. In her mind, there’s always next year.

You may not know: Tory was a contestant on “The Price Is Right” and worked as a Production Assistant for Geraldo Rivera’s “Rivera Live” Show (CNBC, Washington). She consistently closes emails to her colleagues with “Love, Santa.”

Tags: Mommy-to-be, Hopeless Romantic, Policy Wonk, Volunteer, Writer, Home Improvement Nut, Weather Junkie