Kate Tomford

Kate Tomford is a visual artist whose media include watercolor, ink, acrylic, and ceramics.  Prior to switching career paths in 2023 to pursue art, Kate served as the Senior Analyst for Energy at the Chicago Transit Authority (CTA), where she managed and supported energy and environmental initiatives including CTA’s transition to a zero-emissions bus fleet, facility energy efficiency upgrades, procurement of energy commodities, and testimony in utility regulatory proceedings.  Before joining CTA in 2016, Kate served as the Chief Sustainability Policy Advisor at the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity and as the Director of Sustainability for Illinois Governor Pat Quinn.

Kate currently chairs the Board of Directors for the Old Town School of Folk Music and mentors graduate students at the University of Chicago Harris School of Public Policy.  She holds an AB in Earth and Planetary Sciences from Harvard College and a MS in Environmental Science and Policy from the University of Chicago Harris School of Public Policy.  She lives in Chicago with her husband, David, and their two children.