Mara D’Amico

Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Teambuilding Culture change
United States
Mara D’Amico

Mara D’Amico is an experienced facilitation consultant, having worked with a diverse range of partners to achieve their goals by designing and facilitating events where participants connect in thoughtful and engaging ways. She has built meetings and events through a participatory model with nonprofit organizations, government agencies, colleges and universities, community groups, faith-based organizations, corporations, and others.

Mara works for the Michigan Women’s Health Initiative at Michigan Medicine within the University of Michigan. Mara leads engagement with physicians, practices, communities, and patients and works to improve women’s health so that it’s responsive to their needs, respects their preferences, and supports them in leading safe, healthy lives. She previously worked as Program Manager on the Strategies for Health Equity team at the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists to ensure all women can access the full range of reproductive health care options in the United States.

Mara also served as a McLarty Scholar and the Hillary Rodham Clinton Communications Fellow at the Georgetown Institute for Women, Peace and Security, and served two terms as an AmeriCorps member in Miami, Florida. She graduated from the Clinton School of Public Service, earning a Master of Public Service degree, and earned a B.S. in International Business and Spanish from Central Michigan University.

Mara lives in Grand Rapids, Michigan. She is a volunteer crisis counsellor with Crisis Text Line, a board member for OAR of Arlington (an anti-racist and restorative justice organization), a board member for Planned Parenthood Advocates of Michigan, a committee member with the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services Maternal Infant Health, Health Equity Action Committee and the Optimal Birth Spacing Action Committee, and a member of the Vital Voices Young Leaders Council. She is also a New Leaders Council DC alumna and a graduate of the American University Women in Politics Institute WeLead Program.

Geographic experience

North America

Languages

English

Experience as a coach (formal/informal)

8 years

Experience as a facilitator

8 years

UFacilitator stage

Lead

Mara would be excellent at leading projects in public service, particularly in healthcare. She has a job aside from her facilitation work, hence at times she may not be able to take up certain projects depending on the bandwidth available.

Sector(s)

Healthcare (particularly reproductive healthcare), women’s rights, mental health, crisis counseling, rehabilitation post-incarceration, racial equity

Strengths

  • Communication for social change
  • Healthcare (particularly reproductive healthcare), women’s rights, crisis counselling, mental health, rehabilitation post-incarceration, racial equity
  • Liberating Structures and how to use the different structures mentioned there, how to creatively adapt the structures
  • Coaching people and helping them grow and develop, coaching people in building the skill of facilitation
  • Attention to detail and responsiveness
  • Establishing and maintaining great relationships with stakeholders
  • Extremely calm in the face of ambiguity and able to adapt to the situation
  • Has worked on complex projects with conflict, difficult conversations such as on the topic of mental health
  • Very structured and process-oriented in her facilitation design, improving processes
  • Humble and reflective works well with the group and harness the group’s knowledge

Areas of development and learning

  • Keen to learn new tools for facilitation, and grow with the Community

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UFacilitate exists to coach leaders so they can create the conditions that are needed to drive inclusion and collaboration.

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