Retired, for now: Former Peters Township Chamber leader ponders next role
A retired Air Force pilot, Brian Schill is accustomed to being up in the air. And that’s where he has been, figuratively, about his future since retiring as executive director of the Peters Township Chamber of Commerce in June.
“I spent zillions of hours there,” he said with his trademark easygoing laugh. “I’ve met so many wonderful people through the Peters Township Chamber.
“A big part of my retirement from the chamber is that I have a lot of summer projects to do with my family. We’ll see where life takes me, but first we’ll see where summer takes me. I’ll wait until October and see where I can make the biggest difference.”
So, what will Schill do come Oktoberfest? But perhaps the overriding question may be, what won’t this 61-year-old dynamo do?
He may accept a full-time job, volunteer or do both – at multiple organizations. Community service is Schill’s forte and he revels in it. He is a member of three local chambers – Peters, Southwest Regional and Bethel Park – and the Upper St. Clair-Bethel Park (Breakfast) Rotary Club.
“It’s all volunteer right now. That’s what I know and what I love. We’re really blessed with great communities,” said Schill, a 33-year resident of Upper St. Clair, where he and his wife, Linda, have raised three children: Luke, Derek and Brianna.
His public service portfolio also includes being past president of the Rotary Club of Upper St Clair-Bethel Park; public relations director for the Military Affairs Coalition of Western Pennsylvania; and a board member of the Clarion University Alumni Association, the Combined Federal Campaign and the Pittsburgh Region of the Jefferson Awards for Public Service.
Schill led the Peters Chamber’s three-member staff for 11 years, succeeding Carol Foley, who died unexpectedly after serving the chamber for 25 years. The staff has worked meticulously keeping residents abreast of what was opening and happening in a large community with a vibrant business climate.
Amy Petro, his successor in charge of the chamber, calls Schill “a community champion. He’s not one to sit still or be a home body. He likes to be out in the community, connecting with others. He lives his life serving his communities, whether it’s Rotary or the chamber.”
The Peters Chamber, incorporated in 1954, is a nonprofit with about 500 members. “We’re mainly an area small business-focused chamber,” said Petro, the interim executive director.
Despite the name, she said her chamber operates well beyond the township borders. “We service all of the South Hills, upper Washington County and Downtown Washington. We stress that we serve other areas and strive to help businesses and organizations. We’re trying to promote kindness in the community. We try to connect when City Mission is looking for volunteers.”
As of early August, Petro and Kelly Caldwell, the executive administrator, temporarily comprised the chamber staff.
Schill’s roots are decidedly north of Upper St. Clair, about a 120-mile jaunt to an unincorporated community named Marble. “I’m a Clarion County farm boy who can still go home,” he said.
He served in the U.S. Air Force for 20 years, retiring in 2006 after serving as a pilot with the 171st Air Refueling Wing, near Pittsburgh International Airport. Schill left the military with the rank of lieutenant colonel.
A few years later, in January 2009, Schill experienced the bumpiest ride of his life. He was diagnosed with stage 4 non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma. Schill had a stem cell transplant later that year at Shadyside Hospital, using his own stem cells, and had to navigate a lengthy recovery.
“It’s a rare, aggressive form of cancer. I got a tremendous amount of support, though,” he said. One time, shortly after being diagnosed, he saw another veteran dealing with cancer who told him “welcome aboard” and offered guidance. While on the rebound, Schill reciprocated by advising another patient who was in a similar circumstance.
“Every six months, I walk around the hospital where I got my stem cell transplant. One time, a person said someone is having a tough time and can I talk to him. I did.”
Schill readily admits “if it weren’t for my attitude, I wouldn’t have gotten through. I realized that if I give up, the Big Man will say, ‘Brian, it looks like my work’s done with you.'”
He is still tackling those summertime projects and enjoying more time with his family members, who are displaying his proclivity for activity. Schill’s daughter is returning to law school and one of his sons, he exclaimed, “wants to learn how to fly.”
It wasn’t a surprise, then, when Brian Schill admitted, “I’m thinking about getting current again” with a pilot’s license – which would put him up in the air again.