Tara Harrison Martinetti was born on Long Island and raised in Bergen County, New Jersey. She was raised by her parents, June and Richard Harrison, alongside her brother, Philip. In addition to her immediate family, Tara spent most weekends surrounded by the extended Harrison clan.

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She attended James Madison University, where she earned her undergraduate degree in psychology and special education. She later received her master’s degree in early childhood education from Montclair State University and went on to earn her supervisor certification from Seton Hall University. All of this is to say that Tara is deeply passionate about education. Her goal has always been inclusion for everyone especially for students and adults with special needs.

 

Tara has been married to her husband, Jason, for 14 years and is the proud mom of James (10), Mackenzie (7), and Juliet (3). The family has lived in Cranford since 2017 and has loved finding their forever home and community there. They are grateful to have built a wonderful circle of friends and extended family in Cranford.

Tara’s love of community service and kindness began before she can even remember. Weekends were spent attending church with her family, where they often volunteered or raised money together. After church, they would frequently head just a few minutes away to Nana and Pop’s house to spend time with cousins. It was during these years that Tara’s foundation was firmly laid.

 

Nana and Pop were full of love, not only for their grandchildren, but for everyone. They lived their lives as true examples of faith, giving as much as they could, offering a smile to everyone they met, and always assuming the best in others. This example was reinforced daily by Richard and June through the way they treated people with kindness and respect.

 

The Harrison/Flusk family was incredibly musical, often hosting lively music gatherings and singing everything from Irish classics to rock and everything in between. It was no surprise that Tara discovered her love of music early and carried it with her to James Madison University. There, she joined a music service fraternity, where she met some of her closest friends while serving the community. James Madison’s motto, “Be the Change,” perfectly reflected Tara’s aspirations.

 

Today, she spends most of her days supporting teachers as the Supervisor of Special Services in South Plainfield. Her favorite part of the job is the children…all of them. She prides herself on being a servant leader and is always dreaming up ways to ensure her students remain included alongside their same-aged peers.

People may say that Tara does a great deal for her community and coworkers, but she is not one to say that herself. She simply believes that when you have the opportunity to help someone, you should. That kindness costs nothing and sometimes, a simple smile can change someone’s entire life.