Sarah Taylor

Name: Sarah Taylor
City/State: South Lyon, MI
Branch of Service: Army
Years of Service: 6
Last Rank Held: E5
Military Occupation: Intelligence Analyst
Current Occupation: Strategy and Project Specialist
X: TBD
Instagram: @sarahmadetaylor
Facebook: @Sarah Taylor

Sarah outside of the military:

In my personal life I am a mother to two active children, Graham (5) and Norah (3). In addition to having two littles that keep me busy and on my toes, I also have several hobbies that help me keep up with my kids which include cycling, running and yoga. Professionally, I work for a diversified energy company headquartered in Detroit. I’ve launched several employee resource groups (ERG), I’m co-founder of our Veterans and Family interest groups. I’m an active Women United board member for the United Way for Southeastern Michigan and have held various other volunteer leadership positions that supported policy issues, veteran mental and physical health and I’m very excited to become more involved in the Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America Cavalry to ensure veterans voices are heard at the state and federal levels.

Sarah on joining the IAVA Cavalry:

My voice and experience matters, I feel emboldened to represent veterans and their policy priorities for the future. The future is now.

How the military experience affected Sarah’s personal growth:

Serving helped me realize that I can do hard, unthinkable things. I loved being part of a team that was never expected to fail. I have an unwavering belief in myself and my people because of the strength and discipline I gained in uniform. I served with people from various walks of life and I loved this about the military. I loved serving alongside people who held the same beliefs and wanted more for themselves and for our country. I continue to raise the bar high for myself so I can do and be better, and the military is just one step in my journey. I have so much more to do!

IAVA’s policy priorities that are the most pressing:

I believe the VA should expand and approve upon women’s access to healthcare. It’s alarming that the majority of data that supports positive health outcomes is predominately based on male results. This needs to change. Also, why are we debating reproductive care and access to contraception in 2025? Women have babies and need medical care, this includes women of servicemembers while actively serving. Servicemembers need protection to prevent them from being non-mission ready. Policy priorities don’t necessarily align with people priorities, I support policies that promote positive outcomes for servicemembers and their families full stop.

IAVA’s policy priorities with the strongest personal connection for Sarah:

The United States can do more to provide support and promote more veteran-owned businesses. There are significant disparities between men and women who are successful in securing financing for small businesses as well. More women than men actually seek out credit card financing because lending institutions favor traditional lending practices, like credit score, history and high equity. Some women don’t have the luxury of meeting these requirements. Credit cards traditionally have high percentage rates and higher risk for the business owner. In addition to financing, women need greater wrap-around supports as they navigate business ownership and caretaking. We can do more to support economic opportunities and veteran outcomes in this space as well.