Tamiko Garrett, Ph.D.
Tamiko Garrett, Ph.D., is an experienced educator and nonprofit leader with more than 20 years of experience spanning both K–12 and higher education. Based in Kalamazoo, Michigan, she has dedicated her career to supporting students, families, and communities through education and advocacy. She spent over a decade in the nonprofit sector, including six years as Senior Director at Communities in Schools, where she partnered closely with local school districts to enhance student support systems and drive meaningful outcomes.
Tamiko is the Founder and Executive Director of a nonprofit organization she created in 2018 as part of her doctoral research at Eastern Michigan University, where she earned her Ph.D. in Educational Leadership in 2019. Her work focuses on supporting youth with invisible disabilities and their caregivers—an area deeply personal to her as a single parent raising a daughter diagnosed with ADHD in first grade. Through her nonprofit, she provides one-on-one coaching, builds partnerships with schools and community organizations, and creates resources designed to offer the kind of support she once sought herself. In September 2025, she made the bold decision to leave her full-time role to pursue this mission wholeheartedly.
In addition to her nonprofit leadership, Tamiko serves as an adjunct professor in the Teaching, Learning, and Leadership department at Western Michigan University, where she continues to shape future educators and leaders. Known for her supportive leadership style, strong communication, and commitment to listening, she leads with both empathy and purpose. She is also an active board member of ARC Community Advocates and remains engaged in her community through service and collaboration. Guided by mentorship from leaders such as her board president, Jane Boss, Tamiko is passionate about advancing awareness, fostering understanding, and creating lasting impact for families navigating invisible disabilities.
• Eastern Michigan University
Doctor of Philosophy - PhD, Educational Leadership
• Western Michigan University
Post-Graduate Certificate
• Western Michigan University
Master's Degree, Educational Leadership
• Kalamazoo Valley Community College
Associate's degree, EDUCATION
• Western Michigan University
Bachelor of Arts - BA
• Black Student & Faculty Association at Western Michigan University
• ARC Community Advocates (Board Member)
• ARC Community Advocates
What do you attribute your success to?
I attribute my success to never giving up. Even with the topic of disabilities, and certainly invisible disabilities, it's not a topic that folks always want to admit. So I just keep it out in the forefront and don't give up. That persistence has been key to everything I've accomplished.
What’s the best career advice you’ve ever received?
The best piece of advice I've ever received is that sometimes you need to move in silence. Other people may try to throw their own fears off on you, maybe intentionally or unintentionally, while you're trying to build. So sometimes you need to move in silence and not let others' doubts interfere with your vision.
What advice would you give to young women entering your industry?
My advice would be to find a mentor. Try to find someone who will be supportive to you, someone you've done a little bit of research on or you may know or want to get to know better, for them to kind of take you under their wing. Having that kind of support and guidance is invaluable. For me, that person was Jane Boss, a retired professor from Western Michigan University who became my board president. She believed in my dissertation, helped me with editing and reading it, and when I decided to launch my nonprofit, she's been my board president ever since.
What are the biggest challenges or opportunities in your field right now?
The biggest challenge in my field right now is marketing myself to get out there for a broader and bigger audience. I'm pretty well known in my own area, but figuring out how to market and get that out there beyond my local community is the challenge I'm facing. Another challenge is that sometimes people are reluctant to get the help that they need. A lot of that comes from folks not wanting to admit that their child needs help, or even that they themselves need help as caregivers. So trying to position myself and my nonprofit on a bigger stage to let people know that we are there for them is what I'm working on.
What values are most important to you in your work and personal life?
The values that are most important to me in my work and personal life are structure, stability, calm, and peace. These are the foundations that guide everything I do, both professionally and personally.