Tara Thames joined the RCU in July 2022. As a project manager, she assists the Mississippi Department of Education’s Office of Special Education and Office of School Improvement in supporting administrators and educators across the state. Thames worked in both general and special education in the K-12 educational system for nearly 10 years before joining the RCU. She taught for eight years in the Lamar and Choctaw County school districts after obtaining a bachelor's degree in elementary education from William Carey University. Thames also holds a master's degree in special education from the University of Southern Mississippi.