Vernon and Amy discuss benefits provided to members of CPA, Employment opportunities to join CPA, and examples of how the cooperative has helped leverage the power of its members to address common problems. Prior to CPA Amy was a community organizer in Northern Virginia where Amy taught citizens how to build power in order to change their communities. Amy helped hundreds of people organize around preschool access and won over 800 new slots of pre-k for low-income children. Amy grew up in rural Ohio and is the product of both the immigrant and the American dream. Her grandparents came to the United States from Italy seeking a better life for themselves and their family. Because of this, Amy feels a deep responsibility to make systemic changes and seeks to address issues of inequality, racism and poverty with others who want a more just society. At Catholic Charities, Amy built successful and diverse teams as the Director of Transitional Housing tackling difficult issues of homelessness, poverty and mental health. She has 11 years of experience in non-profit management and particularly enjoys recruiting, mentoring and training volunteers. Amy serves on the Board of Directors for BEACON, a non-profit dedicated to improving the lives of immigrants. She holds a B.A. degree from the Ohio State University and an Executive Certification in Non-Profit Leadership from the Center for Social Leadership. Amy sees CPA as a vehicle that allows institutions to align their purchasing power with their values in order to have a more just, equitable and sustainable society and is excited to be part of the team.
