Amanda is the Founding Director of the Magic City Acceptance Center (MCAC) and manages Family Matters: LGBTQ Youth Perspectives, a photography exhibition by Carolyn Sherer.A native of Cleveland, Ohio, Amanda moved to Alabama in 2006 and received her BA in Philosophy from UAB. Her advocacy work began in Columbus, Ohio volunteering with a local AIDS service organization. That work continued at Birmingham AIDS Outreach (BAO) in 2009. Amanda is in her 11th year of working with BAO and affiliated programs.In the podcast, Amanda shares her leadership path and explores what leaders can do to support their LGBTQ+ employees, friends and family.Amanda is a graduate of the 2019 American Express Leadership Academy, serves on the Board of the Children’s Policy Council, and Mayor Woodfin’s LGBTQ Advisory Board. Additional awards include: 2015 Simpkins/Talley Spirit of Pride Award, 2015 B-Metro Fusion Award, 2017 Ben Rowell Community Service Award, AL.com’s 2017 “Women Who Shape the State” honoree, 2018 Sylvia Rivera Game Changer Award, one of 2018 Birmingham Business Journal’s “Women to Watch,” a member of the Leadership Birmingham Class of 2020, and the UAB College of Arts and Sciences 2020 Distinguished Young Alumni.