Tara Buckner

Tara L. Buckner is the urban planner for the City of Atlanta Department of Parks and Recreation. A CAPRA-accredited system of 382 parks, she leads the Department’s efforts around land acquisition, park permitting, the Activate ATL: Recreation and Parks for All Comprehensive Master Plan, as well as the recently approved Trails ATL Plan.

Her experience in urban planning, economic development, community engagement and management spans work in Detroit, Minneapolis, St. Louis and Atlanta. Her experience includes serving as the executive director of the St. Louis Regional Empowerment Zone, chair of the St. Louis Sewer District Civil Service Commission, former alumna trustee representative and president of the National Alumnae Association of Spelman College (NAASC).

Tara is a member of the American Institute of Certified Planners (AICP), the National Parks and Recreation Association (NRPA), the National Association of Parliamentarians (NAP), NAASC, and Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated. In addition to a Bachelor of Arts degree from Spelman, Tara has a Master of Public Administration degree from Wayne State University.