From a baby sitter to a camp counselor to coordinating her church’s nursery, Amanda Brunson’s early work with children instilled within her the patience and compassion needed for her role with Prevent Child Abuse Louisiana.
As Business Report highlights in its new Executive Spotlight feature on Brunson, it was only after answering a classified ad in The Daily Reveille while at LSU to work with Prevent Child Abuse Louisiana that she discovered her career almost by accident.
As a statewide organization with an annual budget of $400,000, a staff of four and 64 parishes to oversee, Brunson has learned to get the most bang out of her budget.
“I think everyone should work or volunteer for a nonprofit at least once in their lives,” Brunson says. “You learn how to do a lot with very little!”
When Brunson became executive director in 2009, Prevent Child Abuse Louisiana was crumbling, largely due to Hurricane Katrina and the economic recession. However, it was her belief in the mission of the organization that allowed her, together with her staff and board of directors, to make it through a few painful years as difficult but necessary decisions were made to rebuild the organization.
Brunson says her measure of success is whether she leaves something better than when she found it. She spends her free time, naturally, on efforts that support children and families like volunteering in her own children’s classrooms or working with her church. When everything is said and done, you can find Brunson gardening.
“I love the slow life,” Brunson says. “I’ve said for a long time that when I leave this job, I’m going to sit on the tailgate of a dusty pick-up truck and sell homemade jelly on the side of the road.”
Read the full Executive Spotlight Q&A with Brunson. Here’s a sample of what you’ll find:
What is your most satisfying professional accomplishment?
“When I became executive director in 2009, Prevent Child Abuse Louisiana was crumbling, largely due to Hurricane Katrina and the economic recession. My staff and board of directors experienced a few painful years as we made incredibly difficult but necessary decisions to bring the organization where it is today. Our mission is much too important to let go.”
