Amanda Van Eps
35 | Executive Director, Killington Pico Area Association
Residence: Rutland
Career highlight: The career highlight I’m most proud of is building a career that brings together community leadership, creativity, advocacy, and economic development. As Executive Director of the Killington Pico Area Association, I support more than 100 local businesses and help strengthen one of Vermont’s most recognized tourism communities. That work is complemented by my appointment to the Vermont Commission on Women and national recognition as a 2026 Rare Changemaker for my advocacy and creative work.
Community involvement: My community involvement includes serving as a Commissioner on the Vermont Commission on Women, on the Board of Disability Rights Vermont, on Rutland Regional Medical Center’s Patient and Family Advisory Council, and on the Rare Disease Legislative Advocates Advisory Committee through the Rare Foundation, formerly the EveryLife Foundation.
Closer to home, I am involved with Rutland Young Professionals, the Declaration of Inclusion, and other efforts focused on building stronger, more welcoming Vermont communities. I especially value work that brings people and organizations together across different sectors and perspectives.
Motivation for living and working in Vermont: I was motivated to live and work in Vermont by a deep sense of home. Its rare combination of natural beauty and strong communities is the kind of picturesque dream Norman Rockwell captured. I feel lucky to live it and to help create opportunities for others to experience it too.
Favorite part of your job: My favorite part of my job is that no two days are the same. My work lets me move between economic development, events, tourism, relationship-building, advocacy, and creative problem-solving, often all in the same day. The best part is seeing an idea turn into something tangible that benefits the community.
Most inspiring mentor: My most inspiring mentor is my family. Each of them has taught me something different, and I carry those lessons with me every day. They’ve shaped my values, my work ethic, and the way I move through the world.
Best career advice: The best career advice I have received is you do not have to wait until you feel completely ready. Some of the most important opportunities in my career have come from being willing to step forward, learn quickly, and grow into the role.
Tell us something fun about yourself that few people know: Few people know that I collect vintage Royal Albert teacups and have amassed a slightly unreasonable number of them. I firmly believe almost any occasion can be improved by serving something in a beautiful cup.
What would most people be surprised to learn about you?Most people would be surprised to learn that I’m a brain tumor survivor. It’s part of what shaped my interest in health equity, advocacy, and systems change.
What three words best describe you: Creative, curious, & intentional.
Favorite Vermont escape: The Green Mountains, especially Deer’s Leap and the Long Trail. There is something grounding about disappearing into the woods for a while and letting the rest of the world get quiet.
Favorite Vermont season: Fall. It is impossible not to appreciate Vermont when the mountains change color, the air gets crisp, and every drive suddenly looks like a postcard.
Favorite downtime activity: My favorite downtime activity is wandering through a vintage record store.
Favorite smell: My favorite smell is that unmistakable smell of a crisp Vermont morning in early fall, when the air is cold, the fog is still settled in the valleys, and everything smells fresh and a little earthy.
Person you would most like to share a Vermont beverage with: The person I’d most like to share a Vermont beverage with is Shirley Jackson. Her writing captured a profound understanding of human complexity and behavior.
If you had unlimited access to funds, which cause(s) would you support: I would invest in the long-term vitality of Vermont’s rural communities, particularly initiatives that connect economic opportunity, accessibility, healthcare, and arts and culture so young Vermonters can build meaningful futures here.
The song on my playlist I would be embarrassed to tell my best friend: Sandstorm by Darude. It has an inexplicable way of turning an ordinary kitchen into a full-scale dance party.
Where do you see yourself professionally in the next 5-10 years: In the next 5-10 years I’d like to continue working at the intersection of community leadership, advocacy, arts and culture, and systems change, with the opportunity to influence work at both the Vermont and national levels.
What career goal(s) would you like to accomplish in the next 5-10 years: The career goals I’d like to accomplish in the next 5-10 years are to build and lead initiatives that connect sectors that do not always naturally work together, particularly business, healthcare, advocacy, education, and the arts.
What’s the ideal next move for you in your career: The ideal next step is one that expands my ability to build partnerships and turn ideas into programs with measurable community impact while continuing to stretch me creatively and intellectually.
Drawing on your experiences, what advice would you give to someone looking to get involved in community service: You do not need a title or a perfect résumé to contribute. Become a connector: build relationships, create partnerships, and bring people together around a shared purpose.