Born in 1965, Tammy Snyder Murphy is a native of Virginia and a graduate of the University of Virginia (B.A., English and Communications, 1987). She and her family reside in Monmouth County, New Jersey.
Tammy Murphy has been married for 23 years to Ambassador Philip D. Murphy, the 2017 Democratic candidate for governor of New Jersey. The Murphy family represented the United States in the Federal Republic of Germany. Ambassador and Mrs. Murphy have four children: Josh, who attends Tufts University; Emma, who is taking a gap year before matriculating at the University of Virginia; and Charlie and Sam, who attend Phillips Academy Andover.
Mrs. Murphy worked in finance for many years, principally with Goldman Sachs in the U.S. and Investcorp in Europe. She has lived overseas – London, Frankfurt, Hong Kong, and Berlin – and has traveled extensively throughout the world. She speaks German and some Italian.
Mrs. Murphy currently serves as a member of the Board of Visitors at the University of Virginia and the Advisory Board of Tisch College at Tufts University, a Charter Trustee of Phillips Academy Andover, Secretary and charter member of The Climate Reality Action Fund (an organization founded by Al Gore), Development Committee Chair of the American Council on Germany, a Board member of the Foundation for Art and Preservation in Embassies, and Co-founder/Chairman of New Start New Jersey, a policy think tank focused on bold ideas to jump-start the New Jersey economy.
In the past, Mrs. Murphy has co-founded and served as Advisory Council Chair for 2nd Floor (a youth hotline in New Jersey), chaired Monmouth Medical Center Foundation, and served as a Board member of the Rumson Country Day School, as well as Trustee of the Monmouth Conservation Foundation, the Count Basie Theatre, and The College Foundation at the University of Virginia.
Just as representing their country in Germany transformed Mrs. Murphy and her family (she gave speeches, chaired meetings, and hosted meals and receptions, touching thousands of Germans and Americans; there has been no greater honor in her life), New Jersey is now her main focus. Mrs. Murphy spends the bulk of her time working together with her husband traveling around the state of New Jersey meeting people, working through policy ideas, and promoting his bid to become the next governor of New Jersey.