<html aria-label="message body"><head><meta http-equiv="content-type" content="text/html; charset=utf-8"></head><body style="overflow-wrap: break-word; -webkit-nbsp-mode: space; line-break: after-white-space;"><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt; line-height: 18.4px; font-size: medium; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;">To kick off 2026, this month's <b>Member Spotlight</b> is on <font color="#0056d6"><a href="https://links.us1.defend.egress.com/Warning?crId=694961dfd811bba5390060a9&Domain=tarterkrinsky.com&Threat=eNpzrShJLcpLzAEADmkDRA%3D%3D&Lang=en&Base64Url=eNoVy8EKgzAQBcA_Si49FUSwRUE9SZHqLcQQg242ZJ_6--LcZwWSvLU-8q4OUaQokLNGkDLDWSjLpEW3rwmfK21nhbHx81B30tftv_p9y4XJhFh4xmooOlyctxD9E29IXSKH&@OriginalLink=url.us.m.mimecastprotect.com" title="https://url.us.m.mimecastprotect.com/s/J4YtCwpkvBtVGgZRFKsLFJXBTD?domain=gothamnetworking.com">Tara C. Fappiano</a>,</font> who is the Group Coordinator for the <font color="#0042aa"><a href="https://links.us1.defend.egress.com/Warning?crId=694961dfd811bba5390060a9&Domain=tarterkrinsky.com&Threat=eNpzrShJLcpLzAEADmkDRA%3D%3D&Lang=en&Base64Url=eNoVy0EKgCAQAMAfKd0iiA5FdIrqAyEmKrpu6Zr1-2juY4jO1HCeo2c5MWBgQUmR6IxIShKTCDxxZ_XdP86XYdqq5VrNRvP41iLv3YEgbGg1khEQFBWMzgb9xw9koiM8&@OriginalLink=url.us.m.mimecastprotect.com" title="https://url.us.m.mimecastprotect.com/s/kigvCxklwDHR1PqQhRtNFy8au_?domain=gothamnetworking.com">Gotham Westchester Group</a> </font>and a <b>Special Education and Disability Advocate</b>, based in White Plains, New York.</p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt; line-height: 18.4px; font-size: medium; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;">Since stepping into the Group Coordinator role, Tara has been invaluable, bringing fresh energy, perspective and focus to help grow the group (along with Group Chair Michael Steger & Jeff Lewis).</p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt; line-height: 18.4px; font-size: medium; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;">Tara shares that she comes to her advocacy work with intention. Having spent over 20 years as a litigator, her volunteerism and personal experiences led Tara to a decision in 2019 to leave her partnership at a litigation firm to start her education, advocacy, and mediation practice. Tara works with students and their families of all ages to help them advocate for the special education services and supports that will help them reach their full potential. She also enjoys working with young adults who are transitioning into or in higher education and may need support to effectively access the supports needed to be successful. With a philosophy centered on empathy, collaboration, and conflict resolution, she is proud of her success in helping students negotiate resolutions to conflicts that have arisen, and getting them back on the path to academic success as quickly as possible. </p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt; line-height: 18.4px; font-size: medium; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;">In her personal life, Tara is a long-time resident of Westchester County, living in Tuckahoe with her husband and two children. Tara is deeply committed to volunteerism and community service. She is currently Vice Chair of the Board of Directors of Volunteer New York!, Co-Chair of the ADR Committee for the Westchester County Bar Association, and on the Advisory Board for the Paralegal Program of Westchester Community College. Tara is a 2018 Graduate of the Leadership Westchester Program and recently received a Tuckahoe Woman of Distinction Award from the New York State Board of Legislators for her community service work in Tuckahoe, largely through the Tuckahoe PTA and her development of Building Bridges, a disability awareness program provided annually to children grades K-5. She also feels it is important to give back to the legal profession, serving as a volunteer mediator for the Presumptive Mediation Program in the Supreme Court, Bronx County and as a court evaluator in the guardianship part of the Supreme Court, Westchester County. </p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt; line-height: 18.4px; font-size: medium; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;"><b>We\u2019re proud to have Tara as part of our network and an integral part of the leadership of our Westchester Group.</b></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt; line-height: 18.4px; font-size: medium; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="font-size:-apple-system-body">\U0001f4e7 </span><a href="mailto:tcf@tarafappiano.com">tcf@tarafappiano.com</a> to connect!</p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt; line-height: 18.4px;"><font face="Times New Roman, serif" size="3"><img alt="Tara C Fappiano Spotlight.jpeg" src="cid:EEAE2C9E-BE78-4254-BC53-896A9D27940D"></font></p><div>
<meta charset="UTF-8"><div dir="auto" style="caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); color: rgb(0, 0, 0); letter-spacing: normal; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; text-decoration: none; overflow-wrap: break-word; -webkit-nbsp-mode: space; line-break: after-white-space;"><div dir="auto" style="caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); color: rgb(0, 0, 0); letter-spacing: normal; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; text-decoration: none; overflow-wrap: break-word; -webkit-nbsp-mode: space; line-break: after-white-space;"><div dir="auto" style="caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); color: rgb(0, 0, 0); letter-spacing: normal; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; text-decoration: none; overflow-wrap: break-word; -webkit-nbsp-mode: space; line-break: after-white-space;"><div dir="auto" style="caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); 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color: rgb(0, 0, 0); letter-spacing: normal; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; text-decoration: none; overflow-wrap: break-word; -webkit-nbsp-mode: space; line-break: after-white-space;"><div dir="auto" style="caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); color: rgb(0, 0, 0); letter-spacing: normal; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; text-decoration: none; overflow-wrap: break-word; -webkit-nbsp-mode: space; line-break: after-white-space;"><div style="caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Arial; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; text-decoration: none;"><br class="Apple-interchange-newline"><br></div><div style="caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Arial; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; text-decoration: none;">Regards, </div><div style="caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Arial; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; text-decoration: none;"><br></div><div style="caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Arial; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; text-decoration: none;">Rosalia Ruberto <table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" border="0" style="border-collapse: collapse; font-size: 0px; color: rgb(0, 0, 1); font-weight: 700; text-wrap-mode: nowrap;"><tbody><tr style="font-size: 12px;"><td align="left" style="padding: 0px 1px; vertical-align: top;"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-size: 14px; font-weight: 400; white-space: normal;">Executive Director</span></td></tr></tbody></table>Gotham Networking<br><a href="mailto:rosalia@gothamnetworking.com">rosalia@gothamnetworking.com</a><br></div><div dir="auto" style="caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); color: rgb(0, 0, 0); letter-spacing: normal; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; text-decoration: none; overflow-wrap: break-word; -webkit-nbsp-mode: space; line-break: after-white-space;"><br></div><a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/rosalia-ruberto-5978438a/">Let\u2019s connect on LinkedIn HERE!</a><br><div style="caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Arial; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; text-decoration: none;"><br></div><div style="caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Arial; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; text-decoration: none;"><a href="https://www.gothamnetworking.com">www.g</a><a href="https://www.gothamnetworking.com">othamnetworking.com</a></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div>
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