COMMUNITY ACTIVIST
GET INVOLVED
By Alison Bailin Batz
A Valley CEO Helps to Improve the Lives of Women and Girls Sally Taylor was never encouraged to pursue a higher education or career by her family. But, determined to make a life for herself outside of the small town where she grew up, Taylor worked full time while attending college classes as she could, eventually graduating with her first degree at age 35. Today, she holds not only that undergrad degree and a master’s degree, but is a certified public accountant, personal financial specialist and certified financial planner. On November 1, Taylor was formally announced as the CEO of leading wealth management firm KeatsConnelly in Phoenix. With nearly $7 million in revenues, KeatsConnelly is the largest cross-border wealth management firm in North America that specializes in helping Canadians and Americans realize their dreams of a cross-border lifestyle. “Not bad for that once-small town girl,” Taylor says with a smile. “As you can imagine, given my own history and story, I have a passion for helping to ensure other girls and woman feel empowered to take control of their lives, especially in the areas of education and career.” This passion led Taylor to Soroptimist International of Phoenix in 2010. “The heart of the Soroptimist mission is improving the lives of women and girls through social and economic empowerment. Soroptimist International of Phoenix (SI) focuses its efforts on projects to assist women and children in the local Phoenix metropolitan area and globally through programs administered by Soroptimist International of the Americas,” says Taylor. According to Taylor, their membership representation ranges from presidents and other key executives of private companies to local, state and federal court judges, top local, state and federal governmental administrative staff, heads of civic and social service organizations, attorneys and accountants, to retired professionals. “Through our service projects, we generate thousands per year to support women and children in need via scholarships, grants and hands-on volunteering,” says Taylor, who just completed service as president of the organization and is well into her year as the immediate past president. 18 December 2016 | azhealthandliving.com
A major point of pride for Taylor over the past year has been the WISE program, wherein their team awards scholarships to high school girls in Arizona, Mexico and even Haiti, most recently awarding more than a dozen in these regions. “We have several fundraising events that help us to award these scholarships and to fun other projects, including a very special one in December – our fourth Annual Soroptimist Holiday Lights Tour,” she says. Set for December 15, the tour is hosted on the Real London Bus, which will be decorated and feature holiday music, sing-a-longs and even hot cocoa, and departs from Tempe Marketplace promptly at 6 p.m. Tickets start at just $25, with discounts available for children. To learn more or join in the fun, visit www.siphx.org. Photo Courtesy of Sally Taylor