ILMA Compoundings - February 2021 - 32

PORTRAIT
Amber Lopez
Director of Marketing, ILMA
" The most valuable lesson I've learned
in life is the power of perspective. I love
the quote 'Happiness is a condition of
the mind, not a result of circumstance.' I
agree with this wholeheartedly. Taking
opportunities throughout each day to
cultivate gratitude for the things that
bring me joy and peace ultimately eliminates room for being negatively affected
by the things that don't. With the various
challenges presented by COVID-19, this
practice has been especially valuable for
me in the last year. "

EXPERIMENTING IN THE KITCHEN

A BETTER WAY
" I ended up at ILMA by chance, knowing little about the industry or Association itself. I had just left a job in catering, where
I was overworked, underpaid, underappreciated and had no
voice. Martha and Brenda brought me on board as a membership coordinator. At the time, ILMA had many old-school,
manual, double-entry type of processes in place, and every
day I found myself thinking, 'There's got to be a better way.'
I enjoyed developing new ideas for streamlining processes
and increasing efficiency and presented them to the team
regularly. ILMA consistently provided me with encouragement,
support and resources to execute my ideas, which helped
me find my voice again and made me feel like a truly valued
member of a team.
" It's hard to believe it's been six years since my start at ILMA.
I'm thankful to be part of such a great, collaborative group
of people. "

HAPPY ACCIDENT
" I went to Yacht Week in Croatia with a group of friends a few
years ago, and on the first day there, my phone took a dive
off the boat into the Adriatic Sea. At the time, I was pretty
bummed out. Getting a new phone there wasn't an option,
so I was forced to accept that I'd spend the next 10 days in a
foreign country without the physical crutch of my precious
iPhone. The last day of the trip, during our final sail back to
port, I was overwhelmed with the beauty of the water, sun and
land around us. I looked around to my friends to make eye
contact for an 'Isn't this incredible?' moment, but everyone
was -- you guessed it -- looking at their phones. Being forced
to 'unplug' created an opportunity for me to see more, learn
more and appreciate more than I would have had I not lost my
phone that first day. These days, I keep my phone on 'do not
disturb' and only check it when absolutely necessary. "

FEBRUARY 2021

| COMPOUNDINGS | ILMA.ORG

" I absolutely love cooking! I was never particularly studious,
but I had a blast attending culinary school at The Art Institute
of Washington. Ultimately, I thought I'd end up owning a
restaurant or opening a bakery, but after spending some time
working in catering, I quickly realized that I much more enjoy
cooking at home for myself and the people I love. I can't imagine my life without cooking as an active, creative outlet.
" My boyfriend, Justen, and I spend a lot of time in the kitchen
together. We get excited about trying new recipes and going
through the process of learning how different flavors and
textures interact with each other. It's fun, rewarding, cheaper
than ordering takeout, and the best part: You know exactly
what's in the food you're eating. Health goals! "

A NEW OPPORTUNITY
" This year, I'm excited to be serving as creative director on
the Washington Women in Public Relations (WWPR) Board of
Directors. WWPR focuses on the professional advancement
of women in the communications field through networking
opportunities, professional development and mentorship. I
look forward to working alongside and learning from their
inspiring group of women. "

http://www.ILMA.ORG

ILMA Compoundings - February 2021

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