Tara Eggleston Stewart is the Deputy Director of Recreation and Leisure Services for the Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission's (M-NCPPC) Department of Parks and Recreation in Prince George's County. Prior to her current role, she served as the Director of Recreation and Parks for the City of Rockville, Maryland.
Tara is a Certified Park and Recreation Executive (CPRE) and has held previous leadership roles with M-NCPPC as Chief of the Aquatics and Athletic Facilities Division and Chief of the Arts and Cultural Heritage Division. She is a graduate of Howard University, has a master's degree in Sports Business from New York University, and is currently a doctoral student in Clemson University's Parks, Recreation and Tourism Management Program.
Tara has been honored twice in Aquatics International Magazine's "Power 25" feature for her community outreach and diversity work within the aquatics industry. Tara continues to lend her management expertise through presentations at national conferences, serving as a former Regent for North Carolina State University/NRPA's Supervisors Management School, and contributing articles to Aquatics International and the National Recreation and Park Association's Parks & Recreation Magazines. She is a former American Academy for Park and Recreation Administration (AAPRA) Extern and recipient of the American Parks & Recreation Foundation's "Pottsie" Leadership Development Scholarship. In 2024, she was inducted into the American Academy for Park and Recreation Administration as a Professional Fellow and currently serves as a member of the American Park and Recreation Foundation Board of Directors.
Tara's additional volunteer experience has included serving as the Aquatics Network Chair for the National Recreation and Park Association (NRPA), as an instructor for NRPA's National Aquatic Management School, as a Regent and Past-Board Chair for Supervisors Management School, and as a Board Member and Past-President for the Association of Aquatic Professionals (AOAP). Tara is past Chair for the Board of Directors for Diversity in Aquatics (DIA), a member of the faculty for NRPA's Directors School, and a Commissioner for NRPA's Commission for Accreditation of Park and Recreation Agencies (CAPRA).