“My first motivation to run for office is always my three children,” says Tammy Caputi ’99MBA. “I have three daughters, and I am determined to make sure that the world is better for them than it has been for me.”
A small business owner who is running for the Arizona state legislature (Arizona State House LD4), Caputi previously served as a City Councilwoman for Scottsdale, Arizona.
Her decades of experience in the business world and local politics have prepared her well for the legislative role.
“We need more people in decision-making positions who have relevant experience and expertise. There seems to be a dearth of that lately,” she says.
As owner and president of Yale Electric West Inc., Caputi provides lighting and electrical supplies for commercial construction projects including schools, hospitals, roadways, airports, ballparks, and beyond.
“Having that expertise, in terms of understanding economic development and economic vitality, is significant,” she adds. “My voice is relevant and needed, and we need more people in local government that have the experience to make informed decisions.”
During her four years on the City Council, Caputi says, “We dealt with issues involving water, transportation, public safety, human services, trash removal, roads, infrastructure, and more. I loved having the ability to impact things that matter in people’s daily lives. And I am in a unique position to understand the balance between local and state-level control.”
Focusing on the Big Issues
Currently, Caputi is canvassing because she “feel[s] strongly about listening to people where they are. And it’s the best polling ever,” she says.
“One of the things I often say at the door is that I don’t want to go down rabbit holes on issues that I feel aren’t relevant to the general conversation. I want to focus on bread-and-butter issues: a strong, growing economy, bringing down the cost of living in terms of housing and healthcare, making sure that we have great schools and quality education, and making sure that our first responders are well taken care of and have the resources that they need,” she explains.
Caputi aims to be a centrist voice. “Things have become incredibly divisive and toxic in the last several years. We need more moderate, pragmatic, and centrist voices like mine,” she explains. “That is the other thing that motivates me greatly. I really want to get elected and bring people to the middle.”
Choosing a Business Degree at Simmons
Some years after finishing her undergraduate degree at Wellesley College (a historic women’s college), Caputi desired a more advanced credential in business.
“I was about to turn 30 at the time. I was not married and didn’t have kids yet, so I was in a great position to put my career on hold for a minute,” she recalls. “I completely immersed myself in Simmons coursework.”
In Simmons’ MBA program, Caputi enjoyed learning both the “hard” and “soft” skills, including courses on accounting, management, and statistics, as well as interpersonal skills and inter-company dynamics.
“It was the perfect combination of tools that I would use later,” she recalls.
For Caputi, “Simmons offers the ideal combination of skills, tools, and confidence. The programs at Simmons helped me find my voice, which allowed me to go forward and take risks,” she reflects. “Being a woman in business is different, and I love the way Simmons addressed it head-on. As a woman in construction, I believe that we need more programs that address how we can form a pipeline of women into these historically male industries.”
Furthermore, Caputi appreciated the Simmons network, which allowed her to remain connected to amazing faculty and alums within the business sphere.
The Value of a Women-Centered Education
As someone who double majored in economics and women’s studies at Wellesley, Caputi knew the value of a women-centered educational experience.
“We tend to ignore the fact that women still have substantial challenges and hurdles in business. If we brush over those, then we won’t be able to overcome them,” she says.
At Simmons, Caputi was surrounded by “incredibly driven and successful women. “Being able to hear everyone’s voice, and your own, is incredibly empowering, and you take that experience with you for the rest of your life,” she says. “I can’t say enough great things about the Simmons program. And I utilize the tools that I learned from Simmons nearly every single day.”
“Having the confidence to launch my own business came from my Simmons MBA,” she says. “It was one of the best decisions I’ve made in my life.”
Forming a Small Business
After graduating from Simmons, Caputi “took a giant leap of faith” when leaving her family’s business in Boston to form her own business in Arizona. Her company, Yale Electric West, Inc., provides light fixtures and electrical supplies for large, commercial construction projects.
“I have a small number of customers whom I take excellent care of. I am involved in all aspects of every project and do exceptional work with a very small team,” she says. In 2022, Yale Electric West, Inc. was an INC 5000 recipient for fastest-growing companies.
In addition, Caputi volunteers as an executive mentor for MBA students at Arizona State University’s W.P. Carey School of Business. “I absolutely love to talk to and interact with these graduate students about entrepreneurship, about starting and growing a business, and especially how to navigate challenges within a male-dominated industry,” she says.
Words of Advice
Caputi urges Simmons students to build strong, robust networks.
“You can never underestimate the value of connecting with people and asking experts for advice,” she says. “My network has been tremendously significant, both in business and politics.”
For those who aspire to work in politics, Caputi advises them to “develop a thick skin.” One of the lessons that she learned at Simmons is that “business is not personal. You really need to keep the two things separated,” she says.
Ultimately, she says, “Compromise is not failing, and ‘negotiate’ is not a bad word. Let’s keep moving forward.”