About Amanda

Originally from Virginia, Amanda began her career in Public Relations in Washington, DC, where she worked for the Freer Gallery of Art and Arthur M. Sackler Gallery, the Smithsonian’s National Museums of Asian Art, from 2006-2013. Making her mark early, she was recognized by former Secretary G. Wayne Clough for her efforts in creating one of the first-ever Smithsonian millennial-driven events, Asia After Dark, which cultivated nearly 18,000 young professionals to experience Asian Art through a contemporary lens. In addition to sellout crowds, the event brought to the stage noted artists such as Thievery Corporation, Steve Aoki, Iona Rozeal Brown and was consistently recognized in the Washington Post and Washingtonian Magazine as a “Best of Best” city event to attend.

Following this, in December 2013, she moved on to lead Communications for the Art Basel design show working between Miami and Switzerland, among other projects where she represented emerging designers and artists. However, it was her passion for travel that would soon avail an opportunity to join The Ritz-Carlton Hotel Company in 2016, starting her luxury hospitality career at The Ritz-Carlton, South Beach and The Ritz-Carlton, Bal Harbour properties. In October 2017, she then transferred overseas to The Ritz-Carlton, Bahrain where she led a team of three and oversaw the resort’s marketing communications within the EMEA region. Significant launches and executions during this time include the "Land to Sea Family Explore" package featuring Jean-Michel Cousteau along with regional Ritz Kids and Community Footprints events achieving 490,000 in media reach, the Middle East Asprey Trolley tour, MILUX 'Women in Luxury' influencer dinner, La Table Krug by Y restaurant in partnership with Krug champagne which garnered half a million PR value in the first quarter, and the resort's black-tie 25th Anniversary Jubilee Celebration and Customer Appreciation Event with a record 500 attendees.

In December 2019, she joined the brand's flagship, The Ritz-Carlton New York, Central Park, a Forbes Travel Guide five-star and AAA five-diamond property, where she oversaw the property’s marketing communications efforts, including La Prairie Spa, up until its closure in April 2020 due to the Covid-19 pandemic. During her 14-month furlough, Amanda freelanced for multiple clients, including a successful Marketing term for the Goldman Sachs 10,000 Small Businesses program at Miami Dade College. She rejoined the flagship property in June 2021 as part of the re-opening team before being recruited to oversee North America Public Relations for Time Out Group Plc in September 2021 where she supported the hospitality arm of the global media company overseeing brand communications and PR agency accounts across five Time Out Market food hall locations in Miami, New York, Boston, Chicago, and Montreal. In September 2022, she returned back her hotel routes joining the leading hospitality company Hilton where she champions storytelling for the Hilton Luxury Brands portfolio overseeing global brand communications for Waldorf Astoria, Conrad and LXR.

A recognized thought leader and global influencer, her work and media communications campaigns have been reviewed in leading publications, including Vogue, Travel + Leisure, Condé Naste Traveler, New York Times, Forbes, Town & Country, Architonic, Washington Post, Elite Traveler, Smithsonian Magazine, Modern Luxury, NPR, Bloomberg, amongst many more.

Her Senior High School yearbook quote - "I am a traveler with exotic destination on my mind," by Maya Angelou, was her inspiration to begin her journey at 19 to discover the world. With more than 25 countries and 4 continents later, she continues her journey of learning and applying cultural practices to her everyday life and work.

Brains

Amanda holds professional certificates' in Corporate Communications and Crisis Management (2020) from Cornell University and Museum Exhibition Planning and Design from Georgetown University (2008). She earned her bachelor of arts in Asian Studies and Japanese language with a minor in Art History and Anthropology from Mary Baldwin College (1997-2001).

She has a knack for languages and, as a result of her travels, can converse in conversational Arabic, Japanese, and Spanish. She is also a proud first-generation Puerto-Rican American who some call an Aging Whisper through her volunteer and board work with Visiting Neighbors, a non-profit providing companionship to the elderly here in New York. In addition to her professional and volunteer work, she’s a certified Reiki Master, 330-Hour Meditation Coach (C-MC), and founder of Shama Healing.