Tami Tran

Tamara began her professional career in 1990 working as a mortgage loan processor for First Security Bank while attending BYU. At FSB she specialized in FHA new residential construction loans, learning the ins and outs of federal lending regulations and banking compliance. Her work in mortgage and residential development led to a successful career as a senior commercial loan officer specializing in multi-million-dollar development lending. She worked for Richards Woodbury and pioneered their in-house pilot lending program, Wardley Financial. Along the way she decided to learn about escrow and title in order to fully understand the real estate and lending industry. She worked for Realty Title managing their Davis County office and served as an escrow agent. Her lending and title experience was key preparation for her ownership of Rylex.

In 1991 Tamara reapplied for "sponsorship" of Ly's immediate family members living in their native Vietnam. This time the applications were approved and she and her husband of one year sponsored the immigration of all seven of his immediate family to the United States, where they continue to reside as naturalized U.S. citizens. Tamara cofounded Rylex with her husband Ly in 2004 after he came to her with an "idea and a dream." She embraced this new challenge of creating a company from nothing by writing articles of organization, creating bylaws, licensing, and filing. She immersed herself in research and began learning everything possible about the success and management of a profitable business.

In 2007 she wrote and submitted the application for the SBA 8(a) Small Disadvantaged Business Program. In 2008 she created the proposal for a GSA schedule 70 contract, which is ongoing. In 2012 Tamara wrote and created a joint venture with their JV partner, which has been approved by the SBA.

As with all small-business owners, Tamara continues to wear multiple hats at Rylex, where she has been the proposal writer/manager, project manager, HR manager, business developer, compliance officer, the entire accounting department, and much more. Today her primary roles are president/CFO and facility security/compliance officer. Her management style is to hire skilled professionals and then stand down, giving them freedom to do what they do best. Her confidence in others' abilities allows them the flexibility to explore solutions and create the outstanding results that customers and employees expect from Rylex.

Tamara believes the key to success in life are rooted in gratitude. Her commitment to "leave every person and situation in better shape than she found them" is echoed by the Rylex project managers and team leads and evident by their excellent examples and service to their customers and fellow employees. She is active within several professional organizations and enjoys mentoring other women. She has taught kickboxing, martial arts, and multiple youth fitness programs. She is a second-degree black belt in Shin-Toshi, Moo Duk Kwan. She and Ly have two children, Ryan and Alexa.