Meet Tara

Tara Box is more than the owner of an assisted living facility. She’s an integral piece of the everyday experience at Countryside Assisted Living in Huntsville. Always on the move, Tara starts her day by walking through her facility to ensure everything is clean and orderly. She checks in with the food staff to make sure they have everything they need for each meal of the day for the 100 residents. Then, she’s off to tend to the other day-to-day upkeep and administration of Countryside. Throughout it all, she’s hugging her residents and smiling as she hears their laughter down the hallway. Tara is known by her residents as someone who listens and cares about making them happy.

Tara began working at Countryside as a dish washer while in college and remained there throughout her four years at the University of Arkansas. She earned a degree in Accounting and went to work in a corporate environment. As someone who did not enjoy being behind a desk all day, she was happy when the owners of Countryside (who happened to be her in-laws by that time) offered her the position of Administrator in 1998.

As Administrator, Tara experienced every job in the building, from cleaning to customer service to filing taxes. She loved every aspect. In 2011, her in-laws were ready to retire and approached Tara with buying the Huntsville facility, which she did. The facility had 40 residents at the time and the building required updating and expansions to accommodate the growing need for assisted living options in Huntsville. Tara oversaw two expansions, including the addition of a memory care unit. She made sure there was beautiful landscaping so her residents could look outside and see plants and flowers, not an air conditioning unit.

A true family affair, two of Tara’s sisters work for Countryside. For 5 years, the sisters have been instrumental in running the facility, especially during the years that Tara was in nursing school. Both know the ins and outs of the business, with one as the assistant administrator and the other as the office assistant.

Countryside now houses 100 residents. Residents come from the surrounding five-county area, with priority given to Huntsville residents. A second Countryside facility will be opening in Harrison in the Spring of 2021.

Tara is proud of the family-centered feeling at Countryside. They celebrate every holiday as a family and invite non-resident family members to attend. They take day trips to art exhibits at Crystal Bridges or to see the Christmas lights in Branson. They even have furry family members, including a very friendly Pomeranian therapy dog, Dash. Everyone works together to make sure all are happy and cared for. Health and longevity of life are top of mind for both residents and the 55 hard-working employees that make up the staff at Countryside.

Tara has a reputation for being trustworthy, accessible, and accountable. When she’s not at Countryside, she is spending time with her husband at home on their family farm or tending to their two teenage children. She looks forward to the opportunity to take her family to their favorite vacation destination, Walt Disney.