Amanda Timm is the executive director of the Local Initiatives Support Corporation, the nation’s largest community development support organization.
Timm discovered her passion in graduate school. “When I discovered community development in graduate school — the lightbulb went on — this was the work I was supposed to be doing,” she says. “I had no idea it existed before and it combined my wish to do meaningful work every day while tackling social justice issues, but also strive toward solutions to problems like poverty, inequity, and other challenges faced by families and neighborhoods. The systems-level thinking and approach as well as the interdisciplinary nature of the work [real estate, public policy, social services, community organizing and economics] makes it fascinating and dynamic.”
Timm, a mother of three daughters, says being a powerful woman entails sharing that power with others. “I’m especially interested in how women use their collective power for social change.”
Her best advice for others: “Always be a student; there is so much to learn from others. And have the courage to take risks.” –zondra hughes
