I am Tessa Varner, a Program Manager on the Corporate Donor Services team at CAF America. Since the spring of 2020 I have supported the Employee Relief Team to validate and process international emergency relief grants. Prior to joining CAF America, I worked across a variety of professional fields including youth homelessness, small business management, cultural heritage and archaeology. While quite different, each sector has taught me something which I implement on a daily basis in my work at CAF America. From archaeology I learned the importance of small details, from cultural heritage I learned the importance of community values, from small business management I learned how to work independently, and from youth homelessness I learned how to work a variety of stakeholders to enact social change
In my spare time I like to explore new walks around my neighborhood, play board games, and make pottery.
I hold an MA in Cultural Heritage Studies from University College London and a BA in Archaeology and Anthropology from The George Washington University. I currently live in Wales, UK.