Heather M. Bean Oyler | 39
Broker/realtor, Oyler Real Estate with Re/Max Traders
Heather Oyler has a passion for causes such as the Peoria Symphony, Peoria Playhouse, and Big Brothers/Big Sisters. She has been especially active with the Junior League of Peoria, where she currently chairs the League’s fundraising efforts, organized the Little Black Dress Initiative that spotlights issues of poverty, and co-chaired a new event, Empowering Women. She has been a Republican precinct committee person and is past president of Peoria Area Young Republicans. She is a past board member of the Peoria Area Association of Realtors, dealing with strategic planning, fair housing and governmental affairs.
“She doesn’t have the ability to say no, so her involvements in regional events and organizations run deep,” said one of her nominators. “You will rarely find her at home because she’s either volunteering or attending a community event that she believes in. She takes volunteer commitments seriously and dedicated 100% of herself to each and every one of them.”
Hobbies: “I enjoy volunteering, exploring new places both locally and outside of central Illinois, gardening, golfing, cooking and exploring interesting foods and restaurants, as I consider myself a foodie (check out my Foodie Instagram Page @TheDoozieFoodie!)
“The best advice that I ever received was to ‘drop the mask.’ ”
Best advice ever: “The best advice that I ever received was to ‘drop the mask.’ I struggled for years with what others’ preconceived notions of me could be, so I was always trying to attain an unattainable level of perfection due to anxiety and insecurity. Dropping my mask and being my genuine self … has helped me find a greater level of peace and joy.”
Favorite cause or nonprofit: “The Junior League has given me opportunities to get involved in many local causes that I would possibly not have learned about if I wasn’t a member … For one, it helped me understand the major issue we have in our community of food insecurity … This year, I happily adopted a Free Little Pantry at a Peoria public school …”
Leadership definition: “A great leader has the desire to learn something new each day because learning helps a person grow and evolve and you must be doing both to be successful as a leader.”
COVID’s personal impact: “When the pandemic happened … it gave me the opportunity to reprioritize and think about what really mattered to me and gave me a renewed focus on causes that are the most important to my heart.”
