The Connecticut Oral Health Initiative, Inc. 

Newly recruited to lead our fundraising efforts to support the mission of advancing oral health equity in Connecticut. I take a relational approach to development, building genuine connections with donors, partners, and community members.

Development Manager

Journaling for Growth

Chief Journaling Officer

CT Library Consortium

Community builder for librarians. First to fill the role of Events & Special Projects Manager for statewide membership collaborative serving ~1,000 Connecticut libraries. 

Known for my personal brand of magic - creating spaces where members felt safe to learn and grow, turning nebulous ideas into concrete programs and services, and planning and executing events so fun they didn't feel like work - I helped members of our community feel seen, heard, and valued, and provided opportunities for them to build skills to better serve their communities. 

Known for being an innovative thinker who imagines creative solutions to problems, often anticipating needs before they arose, I instigated moving our Roundtable program virtual in early 2020, teaching members to use Zoom and modeled how to run an effective meeting. (Librarians went on to use what they learned here to put on programs for their own communities.)

I partnered with the Connecticut Storytelling Center to launch a storytelling training workshop series for librarians. I conceptualized and executed three different vendor expo models, all of which were wildly successful. And I established a new Program Directory to connect libraries with performers and workshop providers. 

I led the national Take Your Child to the Library Day initiative, serving as project manager, growing the program in visibility through projects such as the creation of both community-centric and librarian-centric websites, speaking at the Public Library Association Conference in April 2024, and publishing an article in Public Libraries Magazine in Summer 2024. I partnered with EveryLibrary to create Advocacy Training webinar series to build capacity among children's librarians, and established State Ambassador program to build support and visibility nationwide. I partnered with Demco to create a line of promotional products for TYCLD 2025.

Events and Special Projects Manager

Northwest Village School

I was selected as the first certified library media specialist at this therapeutic day school for special education students ages 4-21.  

Tasked with creating our library media program, I transformed a humble bookroom into a vibrant library ecosystem welcoming and accessible to students of all ages and our teachers and support staff. 

I implemented a new library automation software system, replacing the traditional card catalog, revamped our entire collection of materials, assessing gaps for each section and curating age-appropriate resources, and established new collections of both print and digital resources. 

As the designer of library, information and research, and technology skills curricula that I delivered to students, I was part of our teaching team, delivering instruction to students, facilitating professional development for teachers and support staff, and collaborated with teachers on technology integration and co-teaching classes. 

I created safe and welcoming spaces for all of our students, differentiating instruction, employing de-escalation strategies as needed, and building strong relationships with our learners and instructors. 

I had the joy of surprising and delighting students and staff by instituting school literacy events including annual Read Across America celebrations, coordinated external speakers, and introduced graphic novel collection (our most popular and widely circulated school collection).

Library Media Specialist

Avon Free Public Library

As part of our children's services team, I had the amazing privilege of supporting children and families who came to the library.

While on desk, I assisted children and families with navigation of library materials, equipment and resources; provided readers’ advisory services, connecting readers with engaging materials.

I executed original programming for children including reader’s theater workshops, family thank you letter writing, and thematic creative programs connected to the Amazing Castle™ installation. 

I partnered with Teen Librarian on Book Buddies program pairing elementary school students with middle and high school students to foster reading skills.

And I brought my skills from my experience at Northwest Village School to tactfully manage challenging patrons (i.e. high energy and or poor in-library behavior) resulting in reduction of risk behaviors in the library.

Children's Library Specialist

Self-Employed

Family Sabbatical

Ketchum

At Ketchum (formerly Capital Strategies), I worked with associations such as the North Carolina Economic Developers' Association and NC Go! on events (meetings, conferences, legislative days), editing newsletters, and providing member support. I helped develop communications plans for organizations such as Junior League of Raleigh.

Project Coordinator

Journaling is one of the simplest, most beneficial habits you can use to create the life you want to live. 

And yet something is keeping you from it. 

Whether you’re completely new to journaling and don’t know where to start, you’ve journaled some but not found what works for you yet, or you’re a seasoned journaler looking for new ways to infuse your journaling with energy to get the results you want, I can help. 

✍️Why work with me?
If you were going to do it on your own, you would have by now. The information is out there. But you haven’t figured out how to make it work for you yet. And that’s okay. I love getting to help folks just like you create journaling practices that help you reach your goals. There’s no one-size-fits-all approach here. We start with you, what you want to achieve, and find simple, sustainable ways to make it happen. 

✍️How to work together
If you need:
🌱A LITTLE BIT OF SUPPORT, check out my curated journal prompt collections through my Substack newsletter. At just $8/month, you’ll receive a daily journal prompt designed to help you get to know and love yourself a little bit better AND solve the problem of not knowing what to write about. (journalingforgrowth.substack.com)

🍀MORE SUPPORT, we'll work together to create your bespoke journaling practice that aligns with your personal growth journey. It’s all about you and what you need to grow. And it starts with a conversation. (tidycal.com/amandastern/strategy-call)

✨ Beyond Journaling—Event Planning & Community Building
Along with my passion for journaling, I bring years of experience as a community builder, event planner, and facilitator. I thrive on creating spaces where people can show up as their true, authentic selves and have real conversations that spark connection, growth, and impact. Whether it’s a small gathering or a large-scale event, I specialize in curating experiences that foster meaningful connections and create positive change. If your organization or mission-driven nonprofit needs someone to plan and facilitate events or build a thriving community, let's talk about how we can make it happen.

✍️ About Me
I’ve been journaling since I was an angsty teenager, and it's my go-to tool for learning and growth. I've used it to uncover what I truly want, make plans to go after it, hold myself accountable, and celebrate success, all while creating a life I don’t want a vacation from. When I’m not journaling, you can find me with my nose in a book, puttering in my garden, laughing with my family, and trying to decide what to make for dinner again tonight.

Amanda Stern ✍️

https://proverbsforprofessionals.net

I’m an experienced leader and Bible teacher who helps growth-oriented professionals intentionally absorb and apply the universal precepts, so they become wise hearted and wise behaving.

Sharing the balanced life with influencers

Georgia College & State University

Dean, J. Whitney Bunting College of Business

January 2017 - April 2017, Associate Dean, College of Business Georgia College
May 2016 - January 2017 Interim Associate Provost, Georgia College
July 2014 - May 2016: Associate Dean, College of Business, Georgia College
September 2015 - present: Co-chair, Georgia College Strategic Plan Steering Committee
May 2015 - June 2016: Interim Department Chair, Marketing Department, Georgia College
July 2012 - June 2014: Interim Dean (2 years), College of Business, Georgia College
July 2010 – June 2012: Associate Dean (2 years), College of Business, Georgia College
May 2008 -  June 2010: Interim Dean (2 years), College of Business, Georgia College
July 2005 - April 2008: Associate Dean (3 years), College of Business, Georgia College
July 2005 - Present: Professor - MIS, College of Business, Georgia College
July 2002- June 2007: Associate Professor - MIS, College of Business, Georgia College
•	Member, graduate faculty, 2002-present

Associate Dean, College of Business

During FY 2017 I have taken on the temporary assignment of Interim Associate Provost in the office of Academic Affairs at Georgia College.

Interim Associate Provost and Director of Graduate Programs

Georgia College (GCSU)

Key functions as dean, reporting to Provost: Advisory Board, fundraising, Dean's Council, executive board of the Georgia WebMBA, external outreach, supervise advertising and promotion for the College of Business

Key functions as associate dean: execute strategic plan, maintenance of AACSB accreditation, manage undergraduate and graduate curriculum, lead department chair meetings, budget & signature authority for the College of Business, supervise staff functions, assist departments with faculty recruitment, external activities such as Chamber of Commerce Committees

Faculty member and Administrator

Berry College, Mt. Berry, Georgia

ACE Fellow for one year (intermittent visits) during the 2014 academic year. Regularly attended president's cabinet and council of dean's meetings. Created a report for the college to assist in the strategic plan item "developing an entrepreneurial mindset in a liberal arts context."

American Council on Education Fellow

Miami University

1996-2002 Miami University, Associate Professor, MIS; graduate faculty member
1990-1995 Miami University, Assistant Professor, MIS; graduate faculty member

Associate Professor

Do you want to make sense of things? Make better decisions? Behave wisely?
See significant growth in your personal and professional life?

If "Yes" to these questions, then the balanced life of Knowing and Doing is for you!

Proverbs for Professionals shares the precepts of a balanced life with growth-minded influencers. The outcome of that balance is clearer personal, professional, and spiritual purpose.

What's the source of that life balance? Wisdom! Which is? The universal precepts of life that help us with knowing or learning, as well as with doing or applying experiential insights.

To that end, Proverbs for Professionals is all about sharing the basics of a precept-driven life. The source of those precepts is the Book of Proverbs from scripture. In short, a precept-driven life produces the Know-Do Balance.

First, two disclaimers:
1). Wisdom isn't about native intelligence. Why? Because the instruction in Proverbs is all about character transformation. It's nothing about being smart.
2). Wisdom isn't about common sense. Why? Because it's not inherent, not animal instinct. Instead, it's about being teachable.

Therefore, wisdom begins with WHO. That is, with self-awareness, by changing WHO I am. To make that change, I must be teachable. Then, my life purpose, my WHY, follows after WHO.

What are some traits of a precept-driven life as described in Proverbs? Here's a partial list:
1). Good judgment
2). Critical thinking
3). Discernment
4). Reverence
5). Experiential insight
6). Self-awareness
7). Self-control
8). Interpersonal discretion
9). Clarity about life purpose
10). Growth mindset
11). Greater productivity
12). Leadership influence

Now, there's a dozen benefits worth pursuing!

Proverbs for Professionals shares the basics of a precept-driven life through week-day, short-form LinkedIn posts. Plus, longer-form blog posts are available at http://proverbsforprofessionals.net/. 

To learn more about my experiences and qualifications, read "Some words about me" on the blog.

To learn more about what makes Proverbs unique among all the other wisdom literature, read the "Value Proposition" on the blog site.

You're invited to join me as together we learn about precept-driven growth. I look forward to interacting with you.

taplio

The Battle

Amanda Stern ✍️

Dale Young

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