Chief External Affairs Officer

Tara Harper

Tara Harper is a passionate and strategic non-profit leader, with nearly 20 years of experience working to advance racial equity and social justice for communities that have been systemically disinvested in and under resourced. Most recently, Tara served as the Chief Development Officer at the Carole Robertson Center for Learning, responsible for both public and private revenue at the $37M Chicago-based early childhood and youth development organization. Prior to the Carole Robertson Center, she served as Senior Director of Institutional Relations, Equity & Inclusion, at Children’s Home & Aid — a leading social service agency providing support for nearly 30,000 children and families throughout Illinois. Tara earned her BA in Political Science from the University of Illinois, Urbana–Champaign and has completed the Diversity and Inclusion Certification Program through Cornell University. She is also an avid runner who has completed multiple marathons.
Tara’s first job: “Working at a farm stand in the western suburbs, shucking corn and at the register.”