Name: Tammy Roberts
Years at CHS: 20+
Current Position: Assistant Director of Development and Media Relations

Tell us about your family, including pets.
Tom and I have been married for 46 years (this September) and we have one daughter, Melissa (Mel), whom we are very proud of and is a great Big Buddy to one of our CHS kids; a wonderful son-in-law, Jim; two beautiful granddaughters, Scarlett and Veronica, and the newest member of our family is Betty the Beagle who we adopted from B-squad Rescue last fall and will be one year in September.

Where did you grow up?
Mostly in Sioux Falls and I graduated from Lincoln High School.

What are some of your favorites:
-Movies? I’m a sucker for romantic comedies—old and new
-TV shows? MASH, Big Bang Theory, West Wing
-Books? Historical Romances like “Loving Frank”
-Musicians? I like a variety of old and new, like Bing Crosby, James Taylor, Ed Sheeran, and Eva Cassidy.
-Sports or teams? I love watching the Super Bowl!

What are your hobbies? Reading, walking, playing with Betty!

What’s something that people would be surprised to know about you?
In the late 70’s, I was a switchboard operator at Lewis Drug—the really old kind, having to plug in the cords. I still can’t believe I learned how to do that, especially when it came to long distance calls!!

What’s the best piece of advice you’ve ever been given?
Better to have it and not need it, than to need it and not have it….a Tom Roberts quote.

Please provide two truths and a lie about yourself.
I was President of the American Advertising Federation
I was inducted into the Lincoln HS Hall of Fame in 2012
I’m a great visual artist

What are some of the changes you have seen over your years with CHS?
The growth of the agency and all of the new programs and staff, and of course the new Shelter for Family Safety.

Can you share a special memory or two from your time with CHS?
I have so many wonderful memories related to our Christmas books and the A New Norm book, from working with great illustrators that brought Tom’s stories to life and then meeting so many wonderful people at the presentations and festivals.

Do you have any advice for newly hired employees?
Take advantage of all of the seasoned staff at CHS. Their long history with the agency is a great opportunity to learn from them and build on their success.

Is there anything else you’d like to say about your time at CHS?
I’m so grateful that Rick Weber and Deb Moritz saw the possibilities in our Christmas book project and this unique way to cultivate donors and raise funds for Children’s Home. Fast forward 21 years and we have sold more than 65,000 copies of the nine books authored by Tom and raised over $1.6 million….and we are still going.