Tara is a passionate advocate for sustainable development and community outreach, driven by a love of storytelling, advocacy, innovation, and technology. Her professional career began in library and information services, where she spent ten years developing world class research curriculum, innovative experiential and service-based learning, and a multitude of large-scale events. After a decade of advancing education initiatives at the K-12 and university level, Tara felt compelled to specialized in technology systems that create meaningful change in the world. 

Thanks for stopping by my site! I am a dynamic person and like to take on new challenges, try new experiences, and give back to the world in meaningful ways. There are certain themes that tie together the many paths I have taken in life:

1. A love of community, learning, and connecting with others

2. A desire to leave life better than I found it

3. A gift for writing and connecting with others

4. Proclivity towards technology and problem solving

Our lives are defined by pivotal moments. Here are a few of my own:

1. Growing up on the New England coast

2. Loss of my mother at an early age

3. Serving the American Red Cross after Hurricane Katrina

4. Ten years of teaching phenomenal young people

5. Running 23 marathons

6. Hiking the entire Appalachian Trail

7. Changing my career in my late thirties

8. Living through Hurricane Helene, and serving public lands before and after the storm.

Pivotal moments shape us, and in turn, we shape the world as a result of their influence. For instance, hiking the Appalachian Trail deepened my connection to nature and underscored the need to implement sustainable urban development while conserving or preserving natural spaces. Living without a mother taught me the importance of providing empathy to the students and communities I work alongside. Running marathons has inspired me to never give up and to lead with high expectations. Being acquainted with loss has positioned me to lead in spaces where continuity, resiliency, and consistent planning are penultimate.

Growing up on the ocean and living in bustling cities, it was amidst the solitude of the mountains that I discovered my most recent purpose.  I have worked for several years in service to the US Forest Service and the Appalachian Trail Conservancy, in spite of national budget deficiencies (I think it is safe to say that my timing was not ideal for permanent federally funded careers!). Currently, I work as an Operations Associate with Blyncsy, an organization within an international engineering company called Bentley Systems. My team explores innovative solutions at the interface of AI, GIS, and transportation infrastructure. In this role, I help the company develop solutions to make our products stronger and meet the needs of the communities we support. We serve transportation networks across the country and around the world, focusing on asset detection and degradation assessment, including natural disasters. For instance, my team has been working to support the city of Altadena in the aftermath of the Los Angeles fire.

I am soon to finish my Masters of Spatial Data Science at Pennsylvania State University, an experience that exposed me to new trends in geospatial analysis as well as machine learning in the context of ecological modeling. I am excited to wrap up this degree so I can continue my work in the professional world and also get back into running. I am also excited to share my portfolio. Thank you for visiting my site!