I was born in 1981, the 5th child and 4th son of LaMar and Sarah Taylor. Becoming part of the 5th generation of Taylor’s who call Wyoming home. Being part of a big family helped shape who I am today. My parents taught us that with a little hard work and tenacity anything is possible.

My Family means the world to me. I met my wife Tia in 2001 shortly after moving to Cheyenne to attend LCCC. We met while working at a firework store and often joke there were sparks from the very beginning. We started hanging out away from work in 2002, engaged in 2003 and married in January of 2004. Our son Owen joined us in March of 2007 and his sister Zoella joined up with us in December of 2008. It has been an amazing experience to grow as a family. This year Owen is in the 6th grade & Zoella is in the 4th. As I watch them grow I reflect on what I am doing and want to ensure they have everything they need to grow and thrive right here in Wyoming.

Education is at the foundation of everything we do. After graduating from high school I had no plans of going to college. I worked several jobs and didn’t really enjoy what I was doing. I have always been good at fixing and creating things so I looked at various tech programs offering 9 month training certifications and settled on the Auto/Diesel Tech programs at Laramie County Community College. I completed both 9 month programs and discovered a passion for learning. I continued taking part-time classes and in 2006 I graduated from LCCC with three associates degrees. This was a major accomplishment in my life because I am the first person in my immediate family to graduate college.

While attending LCCC I started working at group homes serving people with intellectual and developmental disabilities. I discovered a passion that sparked a massive change in my career trajectory. My goals changed from being an auto/diesel mechanic to becoming a social worker. I was making a positive impact on the lives of the people I served in direct support which lead me to the University of Wyoming for a bachelor of social work degree to become a case manager. In 2015 I chose to pursue my ultimate dream of obtaining a Master of Social Work. I accomplished this dream when I graduated in 2017 from the University of New England.

As a Case Manager I learned the systems regulating the services for people disabilities were often burdensome and convoluted. I wanted to change the way services were delivered. This lead me to the Wyoming Governor’s Council on Developmental Disabilities. At the DD Council I was able to advocate for policy change at the local, state and federal levels. Two of my proudest moments are the passage of Senate File 36 in 2011 & House Bill 73 in 2014. SF36 regulated the use of seclusion and restraint in public schools. HB 73 made Wyoming an Employment First State creating a taskforce to make competitive integrated employment of people with disabilities a primary focus of services delivered.

In January of 2014 I graduated from The National Leadership Consortium on Developmental Disabilities. “The goal of the National Leadership Consortium is to assure the quality and commitment of the next generation of leaders for government and nonprofit organizations serving people with developmental disabilities.”