Learn more about Amy Lopez our new Community Trainer Coordinator at the Minnesota Child Welfare Training Academy!

What is your job title, and what will you be doing?

  • My position is new! My title is Community Trainer Coordinator. I am working closely with Kristen Malin and Melissa Tjader-Berg on coordinating and supporting community trainers. My role involves recruiting, hiring and coaching community trainers to facilitate existing and new MNCWTA trainings. 

Tell us about your education and/or work experience prior to joining the MNCWTA.

  • My career has been purposeful in serving those most in need and are hurting. My career started serving young people, children and families involved in the child welfare system and juvenile justice system. I have served the homeless, sex trafficked youth, first time offenders, and gang members. I have a strong background in violence prevention in the areas of domestic violence, human trafficking and self-injury.
  • Overtime, my career has evolved from direct service to program management at non-profit organizations, evaluation and community-based research, and philanthropy. For the past nine years, I worked for the State of Minnesota at the Minnesota Department of Health (MDH). Five of the years, I managed a training program focused on DEIB(elonging) to enhance the readiness and capacity of MDH employees and community partners. 
  • I earned a bachelor's degree in Psychology, with an emphasis in youth studies and a Master's Degree of Social Work, with a focus on public policy, program development and public administration. 

How long have you been working in your field?

  • 30 years. 

What do you enjoy most about your work? 

  • I am very relational and enjoy getting to know my colleagues. 

What are you most passionate about professionally? 

  • I am passionate about impacting individual lives and communities. I am a system-level thinker. Bringing DEI into my work is "in my blood." 

What are you most passionate about personally?

  • Serving others, including my higher power, my family, and community. 

What do you like to do outside of work?

  • Spending time with family, grounding myself, hiking, being near a body of water, travel, and anything art related.

What else should we know about you?

  • I was born and bred in Minnesota (Roseville to be exact). I have a small family in Minnesota. Most of my family live in Michigan (Tri-City area), Boston, Toronto, Sydney, London and Sri Lanka. I identify as a cisgender, multi-ethnic/racial female. I have an identical twin sister who I'm very close to. I have been married to my partner Gabriel for 22 years. We have a 10 1/2 year old daughter named Jaia, who loves to dance, sing, do gymnastics, perform theater, and play instruments.