Photo courtesy of City of Jackson Mayor's Office
Current Keep Jackson Beautiful Interim Chair Jill Taylor and Jackson Recreation and Parks Board Chair Alyson Fite were both selected as joint November 2022 Hub City Heroes.
Taylor and Fite have known each other for about three years and have recently become close friends who came together over the things they thought they could do to help the city.
“We talk a lot just about a lot going on in Jackson,” said Taylor. “We’re super excited every time we come together because we’ve always learned something new.”
“We’ve had a lot of encouragement from everybody around us,” Fite added. “And it’s been pretty successful so far.”
Taylor and Fite’s nominator said that they, “give their time to make the City of Jackson a beautiful place to live,” and that they are “working diligently to strive for their mission which is ‘to provide volunteer leadership in developing positive attitudes about the environment by education and community involvement.’”
Taylor said that for a long time she was a complainer, but was fed up with listening to herself and decided to want to understand why things worked the way they work and wanted to get more involved.
“My pet peeve is litter and trash and garbage,” said Taylor. “And during COVID I noticed that there was an extensive amount of mattresses at the end of people’s driveways so I was like, ‘I’m going to make a difference.”
That is when Taylor reached out to the City of Jackson, TN’s Health and Sanitation Department and learned how she could help.
While Taylor’s passion was picking up trash and litter, Fite’s passion could be seen by her love for the parks in the City of Jackson, which she calls the “heartbeat of the city.”
“Some things have gotten left in the dark and that includes our parks,” said Fite. “But I think the city is ready to have great parks and to take care of them. They’re the heartbeat of the city.”
Taylor and Fite both agree that the easiest way to get more involved is through the Keep Jackson Beautiful board. They both hope that within the next year more opportunities for volunteering will be available.
“Jill and Alyson each had their own respective aha moments of getting involved with the city, through our Recreation and Parks, and Keep Jackson Beautiful boards,” said Mayor Scott Conger. “This Dynamic Duo are helping make our city a beautiful place to live.”
“Hub City Heroes” selflessly and steadily give of their time and talent to improve the lives of others in the community. Recognition as a hero is one small way to thank these public servants for their efforts and it gives honorees the opportunity to raise awareness for causes that are important to them.
Criteria
- Committed to improving the quality of life of others in Jackson
- Contributes time to community activities in a volunteer capacity
- Serves as a role model and inspiration to others
- Focuses on growth and well-being of the community we serve
- Empowers and engages others to give back
- Demonstrates integrity, collaboration, innovation and respect
Recipients will be selected monthly and nominations are continuous. To nominate a hero, visit http://hero.jacksontn.gov. Candidates must be a resident of Jackson, Tennessee
After a year of heroes have been recognized, one hero will be selected and awarded $1,000 to donate to a non-profit of their choice. For more information, visit http://hero.jacksontn.gov.