This week’s personal spotlight is on Tara Glover.
Ms. Glover is from what she jokingly called the large city of Smoaks, South Carolina. Educated in the Colleton County School District she attended Bells Elementary, Smoaks Middle School, and Ruffin High School. While in high school she participated in the band, chorus, and was a cheerleader. Her favorite subjects were a business class she took and economics. In her current position she advocates bringing economics back into the school curriculum. After high school, Glover attended USC Salkehatchie and then transferred her credits to Ashford University. She earned a Bachelor’s Degree in Business Administration with a concentration in Organizational Leadership which would later serve her immensely on her chosen path as Director of the Lowcountry Community Action Agency (LCAA).
Even before becoming the Director of LCAA, Glover had experience with them. She started with the JTPA (Job Training Partnership Act) and through that program Tara was able to work at Cato and Piggly Wiggly while in school. After college she started volunteering at LCAA. During that time, she worked at Colleton Medical Center for about five to six years and after that she worked for the Colleton County Family Court for around six to seven years. While working at Family Court she received a call from Lowcountry Action Agency asking if she wanted to come and work for them, and she accepted the offer and she has been with them since 2012.
Following in the footsteps of her mother, Tara has most always wanted to help people. She grew up watching her mother take care of the people in the community in any way she could, and it definitely made an impression on her. When Glover first came out of high school she thought she wanted to be a nurse, which definitely came under the umbrella of helping people. She pursued the position while working at Colleton Medical Center and loved it. Then scheduling became an issue. As a mother of small children, the 11-7 shift just was not working out especially when her husband was working the 12-8 shift at the time. Glover has also had experience with LCAA on the other side of the table. During a time when her husband was laid off, LCAA was there to help with some finances and also Tara went through a program they offered and became a certified nursing assistant. She has first-hand knowledge of how LCAA can help and she wanted to be a part of helping people as well. Watching how her mother nurtured people and LCAA’s help in her own life, a deep seeded desire to help people became her passion that she can now exercise fully as Director of LCAA.
While Glover holds a bachelor’s degree there was a point during her education she did not want to finish. She recalls, “At first I did not want to do it. I really didn’t. I can’t do this, because I was married with children.” Then her father was diagnosed with three forms of cancer. Once when he was in ICU and was talking with Tara he said, “Don’t forget to finish what you started.” She knew he was talking about school and she decided she was going to finish. When she finished she remembers “it meant the world to me.”
On a personal note, Ms. Glover has three boys. She is active in her church, Springtown United Methodist, singing in the choir and helping with the youth. In her spare time, she loves sitting at home with her grandchildren. She also enjoys going to the beach.
When asked if time and/or money were no object what would she do, Ms. Glover could not escape her passion. She said that when she was younger, she would dream of opening a giant building to house and help the homeless and if she won the lottery, that’s what she would do.
Tara remembers that when she was in high school her classmates would call her a peacemaker and that she could resolve conflict and find a different way to approach things. “Blessed are the peacemakers...” and Colleton County is blessed to have Tara Glover advocating and doing for those who need assistance. It makes life better for all of us. Thank you, Ms. Glover for all that you do.
