Meet Amy Collinsworth | Communications Specialist

We had the good fortune of connecting with Amy Collinsworth and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Amy, let’s start by talking about what inspires you?
In my work at Make Way for Books, I am most inspired by the stories of impact that we get from our participants. Seeing the young children, parents, and educators that are directly served through our organization’s work is amazing. Education is extremely important to me and I love being able to work in a position that allows me to support educators and children.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
I have worked in nonprofits for almost twenty years. My degree is actually in theatre and art history, so I have always been interested in creative work and the arts. After graduating from Northern Arizona University, I began working in visitor services at museums and attractions. This was a wonderful way to work in a creative field while also getting an introduction to nonprofit work. I started working in membership, which quickly transitioned into development/fundraising and marketing.

I love working in fundraising and marketing because it offers me the opportunity to support the work that nonprofits are doing while using my natural artistic skills. In my current work at Make Way for Books, it is easy to ask people to donate to our work because I truly believe in what we are doing.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
If someone was visiting me in Tucson, we would spend a lot of time eating. We’d have breakfast at The Cup downtown. If my friend hadn’t had an eegee before, we would obviously need to fix that. For lunch, any El Charro restaurant is a sure thing, but my favorite is Charro Vida. Afternoon coffee at Coffee Time Drive Thru. Pizza at Renee’s Organic Oven is a wonderful option because they have gluten-free and vegan options.

Outside of food, we would go shopping on 4th Avenue, making sure to hit Pop Cycle and Hola Chingona. Hopefully, The Loft Cinema is having a special event so we can dress up and see a movie. Everyone should visit the Desert Museum at least once.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
In my nonprofit career, I have been lucky to have worked with several strong, talented women who have each given me advice and skills that I have taken with me through the years. The one who comes to mind first is Katie Kevershan, who is now the Operations Manager at Ben’s Bells Project. She was right out of college when we began working together, but she ended up teaching me so much as an employee and a human.

My first mentor in life was probably my grandmother, Connie. She taught me a strong work ethic, along with the importance of following through and being honest.

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