PEORIA MAGAZINE February 2023

Rachael Parker prepares cupcakes at her bakery on Peoria’s West Bluff

Parker’s grandsons died at birth and her son Ryan was killed on June 3, 2020. “That was a very difficult time for me,” she said. “I was trying to run a campaign while having tomake funeral arrangements for my son, on top of dealing with COVID restrictions. There were times when I did not know if I was going to be able to make it through.” ‘ICING ON THE CAKE’ Through it all, Parker has remained a trailblazer and community leader. She’s the first Black woman to serve as Peoria County clerk. She’s been a board member with Big Brothers Big Sisters, Central Illinois Black Expo, East Bluff Community Center, Salvation Army, and currently, the Minority Business Development Center. “You don’t have to be a minority business to take advantage of all their services,” Parker said. “Like their advertisement says, their job is to keep business in the black because the only color they see is green!” Meanwhile, Parker shares the knowl edge she’s gleaned in local government

“She’s so accommodating. I literally tell her what I’m thinking, she visualizes it, comes up with a plan and makes it happen,” said Gulley. “There’s not been a time I’ve been dissatisfied with her service or her quality.” “I love the key lime cupcakes,” added Sherri Ernst, director of property taxes and operations at the clerk’s office, who finds that between the sugar cookies and her constant positivity, Parker “is one of the best bosses I’ve had.” A FAMILY AFFAIR Working with daughter Riley makes the bakery business even more worthwhile for Parker. Riley’s Vegan Sweets and Eats operates from the same Peoria storefront at 1233W. Brons Ave. Riley turned her mother’s classic cake recipes into dairy-free options and added other items, from cinnamon rolls to donuts. “I am very proud of what she has accomplished,” Parker said. That family connection has been especially important during a painful and traumatic couple of years. One of

and economic development with other small business owners looking to forge their own paths. “I am always available to help anyone who asks,” she said. “It does no one any good to hold on to the knowledge they have if it can help someone else get to that next level.” With her full-time work as clerk, her nights and weekends running her small business, and her commitment to church, neighborhood and family, Parker said it can be hard to find balance. However, doing work you enjoy doesn’t really feel like work, she said. “If you can make money doing something that you love, that is just ‘icing on the cake,’ so to speak,” she said.

Amy Geier Edgar is the Youth Services librarian at the Dunlap Public Library District, following a career in journalism that included working for the Associated Press in Ohio, Connecticut and South Carolina

FEBRUARY 2023 PEORIA MAGAZINE 13