An overachiever is someone who consistently performs above expectations in anything they do. They are characterized by; high standards for themselves and others. They are never content with ordinary achievements and strive to do more. They are driven to move forward and push themselves. They are focused on outcomes rather than the process, and they are resilient to stress and insistent on playing fairly and adhering to the rules. This describes Amber Taylor, Recreation Supervisor and Rental Co-coordinator at the Chillicothe Park District.

Amber Philyaw Taylor is a Chillicothe native. She attended Calvary Baptist School in Chillicothe and graduated from Peoria Christian in 1997. From there she attended Cedarville College in Ohio. It was there she met her husband Joel Taylor, and after promising her father that she would finish college and graduate, they married in 2000 and she went on to graduate with a degree in Elementary Education in 2001.

Amber taught one year in Springfield, Ohio, and then came back home and taught at Peoria Christian for four years. She and Joel then began a family and they now have four children. Bradyn and Luke graduated from IVC and are now at Liberty College in Virginia, (She tells us that Bradyn and Luke are in the band and got to participate in the presidential inauguration parade, something they will never forget.) Alyssa is a sophomore at IVC, and Lexi is a 7th grader at CEC. 

After Bradyn and Luke were born, Amber stepped away from teaching to spend more time with them. She spent a year running a daycare business in the daytime and teaching in the evenings for a company named Berlitz. Caterpillar contracts them to find teachers to teach English to some of their clients who come to the United States. She applied and was hired to teach English to a Russian couple. Although she didn’t speak any Russian, she managed to teach the couple to speak conversational English that year.

After her second child was diagnosed with asthma, Amber decided to take a job in the healthcare field. She applied for and landed a job at OSF in the pediatric intensive care unit. For five years she worked the night shift as a unit clerk, handling all the incoming and outgoing information on all the children and making sure their needs were met.

After working at the hospital she had an opportunity to join Thirty One Gifts which sold merchandise at home parties. She excelled at her job and became the top seller in Illinois and one of the top five sellers in the nation. Because of her ranking, she was given a seat on the presidential advisory council and product committee for the company.

While still with Thirty One, she took her kids to the Shore Acres Pool after it opened back up after COVID-19 and noticed that it looked like they might need help. She had been a lifeguard in high school at Shore Acres and knew executive director Kevin Yates, so she asked if he needed help. He said yes and hired her as a part-time pool manager.

Her next venture was as Assistant Director at Pearce Community Center. She continued as a pool manager at Shore Acres, working both jobs until a full-time position came open in 2023 at the Park District for a Recreation Supervisor and Rental Co-coordinator. She jumped at the chance to take this newly created position at the Park District managing recreation, special events, aquatics, and rentals.

If that isn’t enough, now with the creation of the Chillicothe Park District Foundation, Amber works alongside executive director Kevin organizing donors for the foundation, creating the monthly newsletter, and doing public speaking presentations with Kevin to keep everyone abreast of what is going on at the park now and what’s coming up in the future.

She tells us, “I love that this position was a blank slate that I had the privilege of working with Kevin to create from the ground up. We have been intentional to bring new, ‘outside the box’ programs and events to the community. To trail runs to our Party in the Park to a hide and seek from the police event.”

“I tell everyone that my job is filling your social calendar. One of my favorite jobs is working with the seniors planning activities and events for them like taking them hiking, having coffee at the clubhouse, or taking them on quarterly bus trips. They have so much wisdom to offer and life to live. Of course, I love that my summers are still spent at Shore Acres Pool.”

Whatever her job, Amber is bringing out the best in others. Whether it’s teaching children or adults, caring for sick children’s needs, or helping run a community center, a swimming pool, or park district she does it to the best of her ability, with a smile on her face and love in her heart.

Amber says she loves meeting the amazing people in this town. “I feel blessed to be able to work in my hometown and give back to the community that I grew up in.”

Chillicothe also feels blessed to have someone like Amber Taylor helping to fulfill our town’s recreational needs now and in the future. Thank you Amber for all you do for our town!