Tess Connor

Chief Operating Officer

Why I Lead

My "why" is deeply personal. I watched both my parents navigate life with disabilities: my mother, whose glioblastoma brain tumor swiftly took her mobility and cognitive abilities, and my father, who aged into disability through illness. I witnessed firsthand the challenges they faced—not only because of their conditions, but also because of the barriers that too often exist in our communities.

I’m incredibly fortunate to be the parent of three amazing children. One of them has benefited from Northwest Center’s Early Supports program and NWC Kids Chinook Early Learning Center. Through my parents' experiences and my own family's journey, I've come to understand both the challenges disability can create and the extraordinary difference the right support can make. Those experiences are deeply woven into the fabric of my family, have shaped my perspective, and inspire the purpose that drives me every day.

I’m driven to dismantle the barriers that hold people with disabilities back. At Northwest Center, we're not just providing services—we’re helping create a world where disability never limits potential. I envision a future where ableism no longer exists; where people with disabilities have equitable access to education, employment, services, and their communities; and where every person is valued for their abilities, not defined by their disability.

That is why I come to work every day. I'm proud to stand alongside the incredible team at Northwest Center as we work to build a more inclusive world.

Tess Connor was named Northwest Center’s Chief Operating Officer, tasked with accelerating growth of our social enterprise businesses and maximizing the achievement of commercial performance objectives to benefit the NWC mission. In this role, she leads the organization’s Sales, Business Development, Marketing, and Product Development functions.

Tess brings an exceptional record of exceeding business goals, building high performing teams, and solving business problems, all driving accelerated growth and performance. Prior to joining Northwest Center, she spent more than 15 years at Microsoft, most recently as Senior Director, U.S. AI & Sustainability Strategy & Partnership, and earlier as Director of Marketing, U.S. Partner Strategy & Programs. In that role, she led a team responsible for Microsoft’s U.S. Partner Experience and Channel Incentives including U.S. partner communications through owned and paid digital channels, relationship marketing including U.S. presence at Inspire (Microsoft’s largest annual partner conference), recruitment and retention efforts with Microsoft Partner Network (MPN), membership including revenue responsibilities of U.S. MPN, and channel incentives aligned to drive Microsoft strategies.

Previously, she served as Strategic Marketing Manager for Los Angeles marketing agency Ignited, where she was responsible for market research, product feasibility and concept testing, research, and analysis of industry landscape, competitors, and customer profiling.

A native of Australia, Tess has also held Strategy Analyst and Consultant positions in her home country with AMP, Perpetual Investments, and Deloitte Australia.

Tess earned a Master of Business Administration from the University of Chicago and a bachelor’s degree from the University of Sydney.

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