Tira Beckham, Ph.D

Tira Beckham (she/her) is a Partnership Manager for Network Development for the MDC Rural Prosperity and Investment (RPI) focus area. Her work focuses on rural equity, environmental justice, coalition-building, and community-centered policy development to advance equitable systems change in rural communities across the South. On the RPI team, Tira manages the Rural Action Network, a project focused on local capacity-building and policy advocacy rooted in community voice in North Carolina’s Sandhills region.

Before joining MDC, Tira worked with the North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality on climate resilience and energy justice initiatives, supporting statewide stakeholder engagement and policy implementation efforts related to North Carolina’s Clean Energy Plan and 2020 Risk Assessment and Resiliency Plan.

Tira received her doctorate in Forestry and Environmental Resources from NC State University, where her research focused on governance, environmental justice, and institutional responsibility in historically underserved communities in North Carolina. Her work explored how governance structures and policy decisions shape access to resources, environmental conditions, and community well-being. She also holds a Master of Science in Natural Resources and a Graduate Certificate in Policy Analysis from NC State University, as well as a Bachelor of Science in Conservation Biology from Winthrop University.