AWARDS
Young Professional of the Year
Joshua Taylor
Joshua Taylor is the Assistant Director in the Center for Ethical
Leadership at Oklahoma State University . In this role , he engages students in leadership development and works with students to use their influence and passions to make our community better . Taylor is the Young Professionals of Stillwater President-Elect and has been involved in YPS for a few years after returning to Stillwater 9 years ago to raise his family . “ The people we have here are so good ,” Taylor said . “ It is a wonderful place to be around people . I feel like there is a lot of opportunity for those of us who invest in Stillwater – to make this a special , special community .”
He earned his bachelor ’ s degree in secondary English education and a master ’ s degree in educational leadership from OSU , and a master ’ s degree in divinity from Golden Gate Theological . He is currently working toward a Ph . D . in educational leadership . He has a history of leading students in social change , including when he was a high school leadership teacher . His teaching career started with middle school , moved to high school and now resides in higher education , each position becoming a better fit as he continued to grow in his profession . “ My
career is about empowering leadership in others and modeling leadership as taking care of others ,” Taylor said .
Under his direction , high school students led a philanthropic campaign called Stillwater Makes a Change that , in his four years of service , raised more than $ 560,000 for local charities in Stillwater . Taylor ’ s wife , Becky , was the founding Executive Director of Our Daily Bread in Stillwater and has recently started work as the Chief Civic Innovation Officer for the City of Stillwater . His two black-belt kids attend Stillwater Middle School and Skyline Elementary School . “ My future is in trying to be the best dad I can to make sure they have a really positive experience here in Stillwater ,” he said .
Taylor loves his work at OSU , especially the opportunity to lead the President ’ s Leadership
Council and the McKnight Scholars Leadership program . The goal of these two leadership programs is to create lifegiving community leaders .
“ My passion and purpose is definitely in equipping young leaders and allowing them to start to lead in their community ,” Taylor said .
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COMMERCE | 2021 Profile Magazine of the Stillwater Chamber of Commerce