Founder
Tara Darby Rasheta
Dallas, TX
With a career in entertainment spanning over two decades, Tara Darby Rasheta has worked as a professional model serving fashion clients like Guess, Jessica Simpson, True Religion, Speedo and Patagonia, and also hosting travel shows like Crossing Country and Get Out. In 2009, Tara took her passion for molding the next generation of models to new heights by co-creating Model Makers Group, a talent consulting company. She now serves as the Director of Development and certified instructor for JDW Cotillions, a social skills training program for school aged children. Tara served as Miss Alabama USA 2004 and placed as a Top Ten Finalist at Miss USA. When she won Fear Factor: Miss USA Edition (NBC) and made a contribution to the National Breast Cancer Coalition, she never expected to face the disease herself at age thirty-five. Tara is determined to use her voice and platform to touch the lives of other young women facing a health crisis.
Ambassador
Olivia Payne
Longview, TX​
Olivia is a junior in the Global program at The Dwight School in NYC. She enjoys serving as an ambassador for A Model Patient. Olivia was named the Overall Winner at the 2023 Top Model Magazine competition at the age of 15. She works as a commercial model and is represented by several professional agencies.
Olivia plans to advocate for women undergoing chemotherapy and to raise awareness and support for this charity and its mission. She hopes to encourage others to engage in virtual volunteering and make a difference in their own communities, as well. Olivia is interested in pursuing undergraduate studies in biomedical engineering and a career in orthodontics.
Program Director
Cristina Nardozzi Buehrer
Barrington, RI
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Cristina began modeling in Boston over twenty years ago. Early in her career she placed as a Top 40 Finalist in the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue which catapulted her career. Soon after that she relocated to LA after serving as Miss Massachusetts USA 2005. Some of her top modeling clients have included James Perse, Jessica Simpson, Monique Lhuillier, Jones New York, Neiman Marcus and Nordstrom. By co-creating Model Makers Group, Cristina now uses her expertise to show aspiring models the ropes and help them turn their dreams into a reality. Cristina has always used her position to positively impact others, she has worked as a spokesperson for Soles4Souls and loves reaching women through A Model Patient.
Board of Directors
Peter Dirlis
Dallas, TX
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Peter Dirlis has been working in television, entertainment and marketing for nearly twenty years. He currently serves as Supervising Producer and VP of Development and Distribution for
Supermassive Productions/HD Republic Productions. He previously headed the marketing efforts for the hit reality show Cheaters and also lent his expertise to a
niche attorney advertising company, Invision, where he served as VP of Development. Peter was born in Patras, Greece and loves to celebrate his Greek culture. He has an affinity for the water and boating and he enjoys giving back to his community by helping feed the homeless.
Director of Development
Radz Daswani
Dallas, TX
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Radz is an award-winning photographer in Dallas, Texas. Her work will soon be published in a coffee table book for the Hall Arts District as one of the winners of the Through the Lens competition. She is also proud that her photography has been recognized with a Silver Award of Excellence by the National Association of Landscape Professionals. She specializes in architecture, landscape, fashion and headshot photography. Before founding Radz D. Photography, she served as the General Manager for The Women’s Chorus of Dallas. Planning fundraising events, managing social media, and being the right hand of the chorus’ Creative Director were just a few of the roles she played. She has a heart for the arts, community service and non-profit organizations.
Board of Directors
Haley Gray
Birmingham, AL
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Haley is a graduate of the University of Alabama where she obtained a Bachelor of Arts in Geography and Geographic Planning. She is currently serving as Social Media Assistant at Martin Retail Group. She previously worked as the Geospacial Intern with GlobalXplorer. While in college, Haley was very involved in her sorority, Delta Zeta, she served as Student Affairs Senator in her student government, and was recognized in two different honor societies. Haley is passionate about the environment and protecting the natural resources of Alabama. She is also an avid reader and loves a good podcast.
Board of Directors
Anissa Rasheta lives in Arizona with her husband and three children. She is the Arizona State Chair for CARE Action Network Citizen Advocacy working to improve U.S. foreign assistance with a focus on empowering women and girls worldwide. Anissa devotes much of her free time to volunteer causes that serve refugees, asylum seekers, and vulnerable women and girls through Gathering Humanity, ERA Task Force AZ, USGLC, and ONE. She currently works for Säzän Group, an engineering firm in Tempe, AZ, with multiple roles including administrative assistant, marketing coordinator, and project coordinator. Anissa travels when she can, stays active with volleyball and yoga, and is an avid reader.
Anissa Rasheta
Phoenix, AZ
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