For the last 12 years, Amanda Pearson was the Vice President with the Leadership Collier Foundation (LCF), an affiliate of the Greater Naples Chamber. In this capacity, she managed all the LCF leadership programs and initiatives focused on community building and leadership. Through Leadership Collier, Associate Leadership Collier, and Youth Leadership Collier, the LCF Alumni Association has over 2,500 graduates to date. Amanda served as the primary alumni association director for programming and initiatives, and liaison for the LCF Board and Council. As the LCF continued to expand its work with community leadership, Amanda created and led the strategic planning for the LCF and oversaw its implementation.
Amanda, an experienced educator, earned her BS from Ohio University and her MA Summa Cum Laude from Florida Gulf Coast University. Her years of experience teaching included leadership roles such as: Dean of Early Childhood Education and Master In-Service Coordinator with Royal Palm Academy in Naples, Florida; and member of the Core Leadership Team at the Catherine Cook School in Chicago, Illinois.
Amanda is a graduate from the Institute for Organization Management (IOM), the professional development program of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation and has received the recognition of IOM. Awarded to all graduates of the Institute program, the IOM Graduate Recognition signifies the individual’s completion of course instruction in nonprofit management.
Amanda enjoys serving her community and has served in a variety of civic leadership roles including: FGCU Water School Advisory Council, City of Naples Public Arts Advisory Board, Child’s Path Advisory Board, Naples Historical Society Young Executive Society, Grace Place Ambassadors, Collier Board of Advisors for the Children’s Movement of Florida, Naples Junior Woman’s Club Board, Shelter for Abused Women and Children “Next Gen” Board, Blue Zones Community Engagement Committee, Hope for Haiti “Next Gen” Board, and the Grace Lutheran School Board. As a former foster parent, Amanda also founded a county-based foster family recruitment initiative.
Recently, Amanda has enjoyed some international work in which she serves as a consultant for Bosnia in their creation of community leadership programming within their local chambers.
For her community leadership, Amanda has been recognized as one of the Naples Illustrated “Naples 100,” recognizing the most influential leaders in Collier County; Gulfshore Business’ “40 Under 40,” Naples Illustrated “Rising Star,” and is a graduate of the Leadership Florida.