Meet Amber:
I care about people and our planet. I appreciate the good energy people bring to my life and I try to return the favor to as many people as I can — whether I know them or not. I laugh a lot and loudly.
My passions include health and wellness, as well as being outdoors. I’ve been out riding my bike — named “The Star” after its Trek brand — every day since I bought it three months ago. I’m also a foodie that loves to cook and try new restaurants. I’ve even been into making my own salad dressings for the past year.
I enjoy spending time with the kiddos in my family, as well as my eight-year-old dog, Princess, and two kitties, Doja Kitten and Cheetara.
Where are you from, and where do you live now?
I was born and raised in Philadelphia, and attended college here, too! I’ve been living in the suburbs on the outskirts of Philadelphia for the past 20 years.
Do you have any hobbies, interests or passions that you’d like to talk about?
I have a lot of hobbies and interests that I enjoy exploring.
I’ve been making my own natural hair and beauty products for two years now and my hair and skin is the best it’s ever been. I use all-natural ingredients to make my own hair products and skin masks, and I’ve also expanded to making body butters and scrubs.
I also enjoy playing sports and doing things to move my body and have fun. Badminton is one of my favorites.
True-crime stories fascinate me. I’m intrigued by the work of real-life detectives and how they crack cases.
I also enjoy listening to podcasts such as “Run, Bambi! Run!” and “BioHacked.” The stories just amaze me and the people that tell them are so talented.
In the future, I want to learn how to sew.
Amber meets NIA:
How long have you worked at NIA?
I’ve worked with NIA for two years and six months.
What did you do before that?
Before coming to NIA, I was an insurance broker for eight years. Before that, I spent nine years in Corporate Risk Management, focused on construction.
NIA Broker Relationship Manager Amber S. enjoys spending time with her eight-year-old pup, named Princess.
How did you come to find NIA?
I had done some operations work at a brokerage, and really liked it — so I wanted to delve more into that part of the business.
I saw NIA’s job posting for a Broker Operations Manager, applied, and then came on board two-and-a-half years ago.
Later, I became a Broker Relationship Manager.
Amber’s NIA Career:
Tell us about the growth of your career at NIA.
I was originally hired in the role of Broker Operations Manager. A little over a year later, my manager recognized that I had more to bring to the table than I was originally hired for. I was given additional responsibilities and the Broker Relationship Manager role I have now.
Do you like working remotely? How often do you go into the office?
I absolutely LOVE working remotely!
Working remotely, I can easily be on time and on camera in professional attire after a bike ride on my lunch break.
Without a commute, I was able to comfortably meet my goal of going at least two years without a vehicle.
And, it’s easier to volunteer in my neighborhood since I’m physically available in the evenings.
Since I’m on the other side of the country, I’ve never been to the office — though, a part of me does wish I could occasionally see the NIA family in person.
Do you feel you have a good work/life balance?
My work / home life balance is so darn good!
Working from home, I can care for my home, easily welcome repair people, and get packages without making special arrangements.
It also means I’m available to help family and neighbors with children in emergencies.
Are your ideas heard and acted on? Can you provide a short example/story?
I suggested a meeting with the underwriters to game plan how we could improve our numbers through the end of the year. My supervisor scheduled the meeting for the next week, which led to us planning regularly collaborations.
Have you taken advantage of any of the continuing education opportunities that NIA offers?
With NIA’s continuing education benefits, I was able to get my Six Sigma Green Belt certification at Drexel University.
Do you feel supported and respected by the people you work with?
I consider myself fortunate to be on the Broker Services team. My regional counterparts are so supportive. We help each other with projects, take time out of our day to teach each other things the other doesn’t know, and we make suggestions for improvements — individually and as a team.
We all work together and participate in each other’s projects — our sense of “work community” just blows me away constantly.
My supervisor keeps me up to date with my regional metrics and assists me with continuing education / tuition reimbursement.
Two cats, Doja Kitten and Cheetara, belonging to NIA Broker Relationship Manager Amber S.
Amber’s Impact:
Can you tell us about some of your favorite/memorable nonprofits that we work with?
While serving on NIA’s Wellness Committee, I personally witnessed how passionate Family Green Survival Founder Gopal Kapur was for increasing awareness about nutrition as he requested feedback on developing an app that provides free personal nutritional assessments.
How has your work at NIA affected your life and/or community involvement?
I volunteered in my community before I worked at NIA, but working from home has made it a lot easier to do so.
