Over the last 14 years, Amanda Shepard has played a pivotal role in advancing the Fort Wayne Museum of Art. Joining the Museum in 2008 as the Assistant for Adult Education, her leadership continued to grow—to Director of Adult and University Programs, then to Deputy Director of Administration and Programs, and now to Vice President & COO.

Amanda has used her mission-driven and results-oriented skill set to help the Fort Wayne Museum of Art grow sustainably as it aspires to be the best nationally accredited art museum of its size.

“When you’re just graduating from college and just starting your career, you think that success or fulfillment or happiness is far away—it’s somewhere else—it’s outside of me, and I have to go get it,” said Amanda.

“I began to realize that your capacity for success and happiness is something that can grow bigger and bigger, and it’s within you.”

– AMANDA SHEPARD

Amanda participated in the Helene Foellinger Leadership Development Initiative’s Leadership Lab. As a Rising Leader, she and a dozen of her peers in the community gathered once a month for 12 months for all-day sessions, which also included out-of-classroom work and experiential learning opportunities.

Amanda’s growth through the Leadership Lab was featured in The Journey, a 33-minute documentary following four participants through their year-long experience in the program. The Journey highlights the Leadership Lab’s innovative approach to helping nonprofit leaders develop adaptive leadership skills.

“Our needs, fears, and behaviors are all intertwined. It’s a ‘self’ that can be a mask, and it’s our jobs as leaders to gently try to push that mask aside to get to the real, healthy person that’s within.”

“The Leadership Lab offered us dedicated time and space to do that,” said Amanda. “I learned so much more about myself than I expected to, and that’s not as easy as it sounds.”

Watch The Journey below: