Meet Amy Crowther

Amy is a community and economic development professional who’s equally at ease negotiating with partners from board rooms to living rooms, managing operations and working with marketing teams on campaign plans. She is attracted to the human side of community development, where stakeholders give voice to their visions and political and cultural barriers are met head-on with creative conversation. Amy grew up focused on the financial and political issues surrounding affordable housing, and more recently, she’s supported the City of Berwyn’s small businesses while improving the city’s image with entrepreneurs and homebuyers through marketing and public relations work. She believes that she has an untapped tennis champion and golf legend living in the dark corners of her muscle memory. She seeks them out in daydreams and sometimes on the weekend.

Q+A

Favorite quote? 
I really enjoy a couple of Edwin Markham’s epigrams. I can’t pick just one! Both speak to the methodical part of my personality. Preparedness helps my mind justify the daily grind. Outwitted mixes mischief with the undeniable desire to fit in somewhere.

Preparedness
FOR all your days prepare,
And meet them ever alike:
When you are the anvil, bear–
When you are the hammer, Strike.

Outwitted
He drew a circle that shut me out–
Heretic, a rebel, a thing to flout.
But Love and I had the wit to win:
We drew a circle that took him in!

What makes you laugh? 
I absolutely love, love, love when friends and family poke fun at me or mimic me – in a playful manner, of course. I try to find the laugh in anything I do. I admit that I have a dominant personality, and there is nothing funnier than getting a dose of myself reflected back at me. If it comes from someone that knows me, it’s a deep bonding experience. Sharing flaws endears others to me and is my MO for connecting. That said, I recognize that I need to be sensitive with that. While I get great joy out of the spectacle of careful teasing and making fun of myself, not everyone has the same welcoming attitude towards having moments of weakness or quirks pointed out.

What do you hate? 
I hate the word “should.” I’m talking about the times when the word functions as the henchman of intolerance. If you are using the word “should,” there’s a pretty good chance you are fighting some kind of a losing battle. Don’t let yourself be dazzled by the bullshit – least of all your own.

What is your favorite song? 
My favorite song is Don’t Ask Me Why by Billy Joel. It’s a simple look at life and it makes me feel special every time I hear it. Even though the topics he covers are common quirks in the human condition, I still feel like I was told a secret or that I’m on the other side of life’s inside joke. Despite the heaviness of the topics, the tone is light and can bring a smile to my face.

The lyrics poke fun at stumbling blocks like indecision, wasting time, boxing yourself in, and fighting change. Some say change is inevitable. Maybe so. But if you’ve ever really tried to do it with yourself, and been honest about it, declaring that you’ve “changed” might be a bit generous. (Refer back to question #2 about poking fun at myself. It’s funniest when it’s true.) I think people barely – and rarely – change and the secret of the universe is more about having self-awareness, focusing and engaging in dogged pursuit of whatever you decide matters.

Who is your favorite character? (tv, literary, whatever) 
I’m a sucker for the tortured warrior, especially when they are SERIOUSLY BADASS WOMEN. I just got off a marathon run of Battlestar Galactica (2004) so I’d say Starbuck, rule breaker extraordinaire, has been a non-stop source of entertainment. I’m also an avid fan of The Walking Dead and for that reason Michonne rocks my world. Such grace!

Want more? Connect with Amy on LinkedIn.

Photo Credit: Jamie Kelter Davis Photography