TAHISHA (Tai) Anderson, AIA was introduced to Impact 100 South Jersey via an online posting promoting the 2022 Annual Reveal event.
During the event, she connected with Valerie Buickerood, an Impact100 member she knew as a Development Consultant for LUCY Outreach Youth Center where Tai serves as a board member. Tai was impressed by Impact100 South Jersey’s model of supporting multiple non-profit organizations while demonstrating equity among its members.
As a new Cherry Hill resident, Tahisha liked the idea of networking with like-minded, community-focused women. That same year, she joined.
Tai’s focus on philanthropy and volunteerism originated from her humble upbringing in Queens, New York and the example set by her paternal grandmother- a civic-minded and charitable city legal assistant and union treasurer. She witnessed first-hand the impact that one individual can have on a community by being a selfless woman of integrity and she was inspired to do the same.
Tai is married with two children, a 20-year-old son and a 15-year-old daughter. Her husband and college sweetheart is the head of cyber security for an international company. Their daughter plays the electric bass in the local high school band and their son is studying math and computer science at New Jersey Institute of Technology.
Tahisha currently works for Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP) as Team Lead and Senior Project Manager in the Facilities Department. She is also a licensed architect in Pennsylvania and New Jersey.
In her role at CHOP, Tahisha manages the development of renovations and new construction projects through design, construction and occupancy. Currently, she is managing a new research tower which is currently under construction and expected to open in 2025.
After graduating from Jefferson University – East Falls Campus (formerly Philadelphia University) with a Bachelor of Architecture, Tai served as an architect and project manager for healthcare and higher education clients for more than 20 years before joining CHOP.
Tai’s volunteerism and charity has been extensive. As a board member for LUCY Outreach, she provided architectural and project management assistance for the building expansion team, connected LUCY with a project owner’s representative and a furniture vendor and initiated a large furniture donation from CHOP to LUCY.
Her strong connection to LUCY’s mission to support the total wellbeing of Camden’s youth is directly tied to her desire to support the positive development of students in underserved areas. Tai wishes a similar community center existing in her neighborhood where she grew up.
Her charity doesn’t stop there. For Pete’s Sake Cancer Respite Foundation (FPS), a nonprofit that provides respite experiences to cancer patients and their families, gifted her brother and his girlfriend with an all-expense paid vacation to Orlando in 2016. Shortly after, her brother lost his battle with brain cancer, but inspired by the positive affect that trip had on his outlook, she joined FPS’ event committee. She is also a member of Red Shoe Society, a professional membership group dedicated to the mission of the Ronald McDonald charities.
In her downtime, Tahisha crochets clothing, baby items and blankets, often donating her crafts and profits from their sales to charities.
Tai’s favorite quote is, “You are what you do, not what you say you’ll do.” ~Carl Gustav Jung. Tai lives by these words. She feels that giving is her purpose, along with improving the lives of those less fortunate.