1. Amanda Ripstra
Experience
Alliance of Arizona Nonprofits 11/11 - Present
AmeriCorps VISTA Leader
• Recruit and place AmeriCorps VISTA members at nonprofit organizations across the state of Arizona
• Provide support and resources for 12 AmeriCorps VISTA members
• Promote national service and AmeriCorps VISTA
• Collect data provided by members and report program progress to Corporation for National and Community
Service
• Build relationships with AmeriCorps VISTA members and create a sense of community among members
City of Apache Junction 11/10 – 11/11
Nonprofit Liaison & Grant Writer
AmeriCorps VISTA
• Awarded $3500 in grants for Apache Junction’s Centennial Event and Friends of Apache Junction
• Researched grants and other funding opportunities for local nonprofit organizations including: Friends of Apache
Junction, Apache Junction Reach Out Food Bank, local branch of Salvation Army, Friends of the Lost Dutchman
State Park
• Wrote grant proposals and budgets in Microsoft Word & Excel on behalf of local nonprofit organizations
• Taught grant workshops with Microsoft PowerPoint presentations to local nonprofit organizations and Mesa
Community College students
• Maintained a blog on grant opportunities and other nonprofit resources
• Digitized a windshield survey of housing quality in Apache Junction using ArcGIS software
• Created Friends of Apache Junction promotional brochure and 2010 annual report using Microsoft Publisher
• Planned and promoted events like the Salt River Brass Big Band Concert, Local Arizona Centennial event,
Friends of Apache Junction Board Retreat
Sears 07/08 – 10/10
Lawrence, KS & Mesa, AZ
Positions Held: Cashier; Merchandise & Customer Assistant; Merchandising Manager
• Leadership skills: Supervised the work of the 10 person merchandising team; Effectively trained new members of
the team
• Effective time management: Created weekly schedules and assigned daily tasks to team members
• Excellent customer service skills and ability to work with the public
• Quickly learned the new duties associated with each new promotion attained
• Used Microsoft Outlook to communicate with other managers
Education
Master of Urban Planning May 2009
The University of Kansas, Lawrence, KS
Concentrations: Housing & Development Planning and Land Use Planning & Urban Design; GPA: 3.6
Bachelor of Science Geography and Sociology, Cum Laude April 2007
Florida State University, Tallahassee, FL
GPA: 3.6, Dean’s List 4 Semesters, President’s List Spring 2006