As CEJA’s Development Director, Taylor is responsible for leading the fundraising efforts for CEJA, CEJA Action, and the CEJA Action PAC to ensure their long-term sustainability and growth.
Prior to joining CEJA in summer 2024, Taylor accumulated over five years experience as a fundraising professional, raising over $100 million in funding to support nonprofit organizations and Tribal governments, and managing portfolios as large as $150 million. Taylor also has nearly a decade of experience in the environmental field, ranging from ecosystem restoration to wildlife rehabilitation, as well as in Native food sovereignty initiatives.
As a Two-Spirit citizen of the Cherokee Nation who spent approximately a third of their life living in conservative states, Taylor sometimes jokes that he was “assigned politicized at birth,” but primarily engages in advocacy related to Tribal sovereignty, environmental justice, trans/queer rights, and food system reform.
Taylor holds a B.S. in Environmental Studies and a B.S. in Biology from the University of Utah, along with a minor in Leadership Studies. He is currently pursuing a MA in Philanthropic Studies and a MPA in Nonprofit Management through Indiana University. He was credentialed as a Certified Fund-Raising Executive (CFRE) in October of 2024. He is currently based on Kumeyaay land in San Diego.