About Us
Single Mom Strong's mission is to empower single mothers and their children through enrichment, encouragement and educational programs.
Through access to support systems, career advancement resources and innovative childcare solutions, Single Mom Strong dismantles the greatest barriers to single mothers’ success and ensures the health of our families. We empower single-parent families, improving outcomes by:
Fostering connection: Having little to no support, the community aspect of SMS is one of the most important to single moms. Our members find comfort in bonds built on their common experience.
Increasing self-sufficiency and economic stability: our Career Advancement tools, from workshops to Career Advancement Coaching and our free Career Clothing Closet, directly influence career success.
Overcoming the barrier of inaccessible childcare: EmpowerME Preschool & Childcare programs make quality preschool accessible by making it affordable, even on a single-income budget. Full-day childcare is also offered to school-age children during school breaks and closures.
Meet Our Board
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Director of Fundraising
President
Secretary
Director of Children's Services
Vice-President
Director
Director
Director
Director
Director
Director
Tara Taylor, Founder
As a coach, speaker and the Founder and Executive Director of the nonprofit organization Single Mom Strong, Tara Taylor demonstrates her passion for empowering and motivating women daily.
After beginning her career in property management, Tara opened her own property management company at the age of twenty-nine, as a single mother with a young daughter and a mortgage. Concurrently, she became co-owner of a security company, and eventually went on to operate one of the largest security dealerships in the nation for several years.
Inspired by her experience raising her daughter and her career success, and motivated by her conviction that anything can be accomplished with effort and determination, Tara switched gears and found her purpose in creating and building Single Mom Strong, a nonprofit organization with a mission to empower and create community for single mothers and their children, through enrichment, encouragement and educational programs. In less than seven years, she has led Single Mom Strong to become a community of over 1,000 local single mothers, while also incorporating quality, affordable preschool and childcare in multiple locations and free Career Advancement programming. Meanwhile, Tara continues to grow as a leader: completing Sacramento Metro Chamber’s Leadership Sacramento program in 2019, being recognized as a “Woman Who Means Business” by the Sacramento Business Journal in 2020, and, currently, as a member of the Nehemiah Emerging Leaders Program's Class XV.
Amber Connors, President
Amber Connors resides in Roseville with her two teenage sons and husband Jim. She has over 25 years of IT experience, with 15 years focused on the electric utility industry with SMUD. She is currently the IT Director of SMUD’s Customer and Grid Operation Technology Center, leading SMUD’s efforts to deliver industry-leading initiatives and operational technologies to achieve SMUD’s 2030 Clean Energy Vision. Amber holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration / Accounting and earned her MBA in Management Information Systems from CSU Chico. She is PMP and Scrum certified, has a Master’s Certificate in Project Management from George Washington University and has completed the Prosci Change Management Certification. In addition, Amber served as Secretary for Roseville Youth Soccer Club from 2020-2022.
Amber began serving on the Board of Directors in 2023 and is excited to be part of Single Mom Strong's journey, serving strong women and our future generations!
Alex Trujillo, Vice-President
Alex Trujillo is a dedicated father of a brilliant and beautiful daughter, Ella. He's extremely passionate about his career as a Business Performance Advisor with Insperity, where he supports business owners and their teams, and has been awarded numerous community and client growth awards as a result. Alex’s heart for community has led him to find creative and innovative ways to support – whether through hands-on service, fundraising or board leadership. He is known as a champion of others, dedicating many hours to teaching and finding ways to inspire and encourage people to become better versions of themselves.
Brian Turner, Secretary
Brian Turner is a trial attorney who fiercely advocates for clients after they have suffered from serious injury. Brian obtains excellent results by connecting with each client so he can tell their story. He cherishes the time he spends with his young son and enjoys volunteering to coach soccer and baseball for his son and his friends. They make him laugh. Brian also serves on the parent-teacher board at his child’s school and is a Sacramento Venture Philanthropy (SVP) partner, where he spends time and resources assisting nonprofits in telling their story.
As the son of a single mom of three, Single Mom Strong’s mission and programming deeply resonates with Brian. He looks forward to supporting Single Mom Strong as it continues to empower our community.
Working for myself brought flexibility, and with it came dance classes and soccer camps. Desiree’ fell in love with soccer, began competitive play at 11, and despite often being the only single mom on the sidelines, it was worth it. She earned a soccer scholarship that paid for her first two years of college and her love of the game fostered an adulthood love of physical fitness.
I’ve achieved many things people associate with success, but my greatest accomplishment is raising my daughter on my own. The compliments I received about her kindness and character as a child meant everything. Now an adult, she still amazes me every day.
That’s why we’re here. I don’t glorify being a single mom—it is the hardest thing I’ve ever done. But I do believe this: being a single parent or the child of one does not diminish you. Being “Single mom strong,” having grit, determination, and refusing to fail can be powerful advantages.
My motto is simple: believe and achieve. With confidence and commitment, you are capable of anything, mama.
Tara's Story
I married young and left my ex-husband when my daughter, Desiree’, was six months old. He neither contributed financially, nor chose to play an active role in her life, but I was determined to raise her on my own and give her every opportunity she deserved. I put my head down and went to work- hard.
The only time I ever sought assistance, I was denied. It was a childcare subsidy that covered about half the cost, based on income. I was earning enough to survive, but not nearly enough for a mother and child to truly thrive. I was told I made $27 too much to qualify. Twenty-seven dollars. That moment became fuel.
Working in property management, I decided not to renew my real estate license and instead pursue a Real Estate Broker’s license. After putting Desiree’ to bed each night, I studied for hours, completed the coursework, and passed the exam on my first try. I earned my associate degree the same way. At 29, as a single mother with a mortgage and no financial cushion, I started my first company. Failure wasn’t an option—my belief in myself and my commitment to my daughter required success.
