Amy Brammer

Strategic community leader and nonprofit board member with 27 years of leadership in planning, communication, and organizational development. Expertise in collaborating with diverse stakeholders, managing large initiatives, and driving fundraising efforts for mission-driven organizations. Actively engaged in educational efforts through the Mt. Zion Foundation for Quality Education and youth programs, dedicated to supporting students, teachers, and families.

• Mt. Zion Athletic Boosters, 05/01/26, Present
• Mt. Zion Grade - Volunteer, 08/01/22, Present
• Grain and Feed Association of Illinois, 01/01/06, 01/31/16, Education and Development Committee coordinated all committee education efforts for various events and training sessions., Established Developing Professionals 2006-2016, coordinated a yearly group of 10-15 new Grain Industry professionals for training in industry-specific education, leadership, public speaking, and business training through a created curriculum, industry speakers, and training sessions.

• Good Samaritan Inn, Lunch line volunteer, 2-4 times per month
• Northeast Community Fund, Food Pantry volunteer
• First Christian Church, Regular volunteer in programs for children K-6, 2018 - current
• First Christian Church, 2-year-old room small group leader, 2014 - 2016

• 2019, Board of Directors Training - IL CASA
• 2021, Board Governance Training, Heart of IL Community Foundation
• 2015, Dale Carnegie Expedited Public Speaking
• 2012-2016, Human Resources Training, Human Resources Fundamentals, Various classes and education sessions on FMLA, Worker's Compensation, State/Federal Regulations, etc.
• 1998-2016, Leadership Training, Various classes and training sessions per year on leadership and team building.
• 2004, Customer Service Training, Purdue University, Lafayette, IN
• 2000, First-Line Supervision, Richland Community College, Decatur, IL

• Board of Directors, Mt. Zion Foundation for Quality Education, Mt. Zion, IL, 04/01/24, Present, Chair annual education foundation fundraiser generating more than $112,000 in support of Mt. Zion classrooms, teachers, and students., Oversee and coordinate annual event planning, preparation, set-up, etc., to ensure all elements were executed to plan., Secured sponsorships from local businesses or organizations to offset the costs of events., Research to identify potential new donors and funding sources., Coordinated event logistics, including venue selection, catering, and ticket/registration/auction systems set-up., Act as an ambassador for the Foundation within professional networks and affiliations., Collaborate with board members to evaluate and fund innovative classroom and staff grant initiatives that directly support student learning and educational excellence.
• Fundraising Committee, Northeast Community Fund, Decatur, IL, 07/01/23, Present, Co-coordinated Farm to Fund fundraising event, with revenue of just under $60,000., Chairperson: Auction and Sponsorships., Negotiated contracts with alcohol vendors to secure the best event prices and services., Secured sponsorships from local businesses or organizations to offset the costs of events., Facilitated communication between different departments involved in event planning, e.g., marketing and operations., Implemented risk management strategies to address potential challenges or issues during event., Ensured compliance with local regulations related to permits, licensing, insurance requirements, etc., Collaborated with marketing teams to create promotional materials and event social media campaigns., Conducted post-event evaluations to assess success and identify areas for improvement in future events.
• President, Macon County CASA - Board of Directors, Decatur, IL, 08/01/18, 12/31/21, Responsible for overseeing the board's governance and operations, setting the agenda for meetings while working closely with the executive director to advance the nonprofit's mission and goals., President - 2020 - 2021, Created, coordinated, and facilitated a major yearly fundraising gala event for 200 guests, with profits ranging from $20,000 - $50,000 as the event grew., Collaborated with board members to establish company policies and procedures., Developed and implemented strategic plans to achieve organizational goals., Cultivated relationships with key industry and community leaders for networking purposes., Represented CASA at industry and community events, conferences, and meetings.
• Board of Directors - Community Action Chair, The American Society of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil, 01/01/17, 02/28/18, Community Action Chair: Coordinated service activities related to the organization's interactions with 9 Brazilian children's homes and orphanages., Committee member for annual Fundraising Gala. Collaborated on decor and set-up.
• Human Resources Manager, Topflight Grain Cooperative, Monticello, IL, 06/01/12, 09/30/16, Developed a comprehensive corporate Human Resources program from start to finish for small business, expanding from 42 to 67 employees from onboarding, job descriptions, employee policy manual, crisis communication, training, retention, and exit., Set up a partnership with Decatur Memorial Hospital Occupational Medicine resources., Developed and implemented a corporate Wellness Program for all employees, a Drug/Alcohol-Free Workplace Policy and Random Drug Testing Program., Maintained Human Resources records and reports, included personnel files and state/federal regulation requirements.
• Business Development Manager, Topflight Grain Cooperative, Monticello, IL, 04/01/06, 09/30/16, Established and expanded staff and client knowledge on marketing strategies and programs to provide the opportunity to increase bushel volumes and business profitability through the promoting and implementing of such programs and services to clients for a company with a yearly net income of over $4M., Futures/options broker and offered training services to customers wanting to trade futures/options contracts or participate in a variety of contracts., Developed various marketing training programs and strategies for staff and clients to use in learning about options trading, basic cash contracts, hybrid contracts, and new generation contracts., Directed all electronic communications with customers and farm managers, including daily market wires and marketing texts/voice blasts., Coordinated Topflight Grain's efforts for compliance with the FDA's Bioterrorism Rules and Regulations for grain elevators.
• Client Services Specialist, Archer Daniels Midland, Logansport, IN, 09/01/03, 02/28/06, Developed and grew client relationships that provided the opportunity to increase bushel procurement, product services and sales, and business profitability through promoting and implementing grain marketing programs and services to customers for a facility with approximate yearly net income of $1.3M., Coordinated pilot programs for Online Grain Marketing and Grain Producer Financing (a program allowing clients obtain a cash flow by market grains through a marketing strategy, not a calendar-based loan program)., Developed Truck FOB program and negotiate commodity and truck freight prices and trade terms on all FOB transactions, manage transportation for purchases and sales, and ensure timely account settlements., Created a marketing strategy for new program to increase customer awareness, including marketing classes/meetings, newsletters, flyers, and pamphlets.
• River Coordinator – ADM/Growmark River System, Archer Daniels Midland, Decatur, IL, 01/01/01, 09/30/03, Responsible for margin revenue, freight logistics, and operational logistics of river terminals with approximately $20M in yearly net income., Managed bid and margin structure and coordinated barge freight/logistics for 22 River Terminals on the Mississippi and Illinois Rivers., Responsible for freight brokerage for six additional Ohio River Terminal locations., Responsible for Chicago Board of Trade Delivery System contract maintenance, logistics, daily positions, and over/under fill negotiations., Created and maintained web-based reports to support risk management, including spread tracking and weekly and monthly margin analysis.
• Cross Country Grain Trader – FOB Trucking Group, Archer Daniels Midland, Decatur, IL, 01/01/00, 01/31/01, Maintained Cross Country P&L, while responsible for building relationships and trading grain with end users, grain elevators, and truck freight owners across the Mid-West region with approximate yearly net income of $200K., Managed and trained first year grain traders, including training in grain origination, truck logistics, and customer relations., Merchandised truck corn into Cedar Rapids, IA; Clinton, IA; Chicago, IL; Illinois and Mississippi River points; Decatur, IL; St. Louis, MO, and the Arkansas truck markets., Responsible for daily FOB bidding activities, hedging activities, contract maintenance, and accounts receivable.
• Traffic Logistics Coordinator – ADM/Growmark Traffic, Archer Daniels Midland, Decatur, IL, 01/01/99, 01/31/00, Coordinated all rail logistics for the Central US and Western US Region of the Grain Division., Manager of ADM/Growmark's private railcar fleet for Central US region (200-300 cars) and specialty trains., Coordinator of the rail positions for Growmark Western Region, Tabor Grain, Growmark Southeast Region, and Countrymark's pool car position consisting of programs on 5 major railroads., Prepared Southeast Region monthly Profit and Loss statement.
• Grain Merchandiser – ADM/Growmark River Terminal, Archer Daniels Midland, Ottawa, IL, 01/01/98, 01/31/99, Responsible for the grain origination from grain elevators and dealers in North Central Illinois for export at three New Orleans, LA export houses., Maintained daily position reports for inventory, cash grain purchase reports, hedging/futures reports, and assisted accountant in daily activities, customer payment and settlements., Managed barge freight position for two ADM/ Growmark elevators by monitoring physical positions and grain purchase runs.