Amanda loves pretty buildings. As a high school student in Memphis, Tennessee, she took a drafting course and dreamed of a career in architecture. And now, as a senior account manager for Taylor Johnson, Amanda’s dream has come full circle because she’s working with real estate developers and others in the real estate industry on a daily basis.
After graduating from Christian Brothers University with a bachelor’s degree in Economics and Finance, Amanda began her career as economic development manager for the Fort Worth Chamber of Commerce, where she managed a $5 million capital investment campaign and created a comprehensive relocation program to provide incentives and assistance to corporations relocating employees to the Fort Worth area. She then transitioned to a role as public affairs manager for Motorola, where she drove media relations for the Fort Worth site. While there, she developed and implemented an internal “Give Back” program to support Motorola’s involvement in the “Call to Protect” national domestic abuse awareness campaign. That program resulted in the collection of more than 2,000 used cell phones to donate to the National Coalition Against Domestic Violence.
Amanda joined Taylor Johnson in 2018 as senior account manager and she’s responsible for managing the public relations strategy for her assigned clients.
In her spare time, Amanda spends time with her husband, Matt, and their three children, who range in age from 13 to 27. The family enjoys boating, waterskiing, hiking, traveling, playing tennis and scuba diving.
BEYOND THE BIO
With Taylor Johnson since: 2018
Proudest personal moment: Leveraging Motorola’s NFL sponsorship to collect tens of thousands of used cell phones from fans in stadiums across the country for donation to domestic violence victims.
When I was growing up I thought I’d be: an architect. I was the only girl in my drafting/design class in high school and I loved it.
I never thought I’d: run a half-marathon. I’ve finished nearly a dozen in Texas, Tennessee and Illinois.
The best professional advice I received was: Always look for ways to add value and help others, even if it’s outside the scope of your job.
Favorite Chicago building: The Tribune Tower. I love the stones from various historical sites embedded in the base of the building and the quotes etched in the interior granite walls, particularly this one: “Our liberty depends on the freedom of the press and that can not be limited without being lost.” -Thomas Jefferson
Favorite Halloween costume: My family is all in for Halloween! I’ve had costumes that covered every decade. Audrey Hepburn from Breakfast at Tiffany’s and Yoko Ono were among the favorites.
Last good book I read: The Great Alone by Kristin Hannah
On my playlist: 670 continuous hours of music on iTunes. Life is better when it’s set to song.
My favorite app: Starbucks and Amazon Shopping. One click for coffee and essentially everything else one could possibly need.
Favorite pastime: Traveling (I want to see the world), reading (if I can’t see it, I like to read about it), watching The Amazing Race with my kids (I want them to be excited about seeing the world too) and watching movies.
The worst job I ever had was: waiting tables at Shoney’s Big Boy. Polyester uniforms are not a girl’s best friend.
Most people don’t know that I: love to scuba dive. Belize was hands-down the best, especially the 150ft dive down The Blue Hole which was not only spooky and dark but also included blacktip sharks circling 10 ft below us.
My guilty pleasure is: dark chocolate and baked goods. I’ve never met a cookie I didn’t like.