Summer 2005

Amy Koehl, program manager

“Our mom had a very strong social justice bent. [Growing up] we were able to make our own decisions and suffer the consequences,” says Amy Koehl, program manager. “That had a strong influence on how I see the world.”

Amy grew up in Bedford, a small town in Southern Indiana. Upon graduating from Indiana University, she found herself headed to the Northwest. “A friend moved to Seattle. They asked me if I wanted to come along and I said ‘Sure, why not?’ I had no idea what to expect.”

After settling in Seattle, Amy discovered the Lighthouse for the Blind and began work in our Group Supported Employment (GSE) program training blind employees who also have developmental disabilities. “I spent half my time in production, half as a job coach. That’s how it was set up back then.”

“I’ve been here eighteen years. Most of that has been in the supported employment program,” Amy says. “I became a lead job coach, then a supervisor.”

“Amy was instrumental in gaining support from manufacturing in the integration of GSE employees throughout the Lighthouse,” says Paula Hoffman, director of rehabilitation and government relations. “She did this by building relationships with other departments, and making sure the work was high quality and done on time.  She is also a key reason our audits with King County Division of Developmental Disabilities have gone very well.” 

In 2001, the Lighthouse added a new training program: a Technology Training Center (TTC) designed specifically for Deaf-Blind individuals to learn computer skills and assistive technology. Amy accepted a position as the program manager for the TTC at its inception. “The technology we use is so interesting that you want to learn about it. We have two teachers in the TTC who are so talented -- we are lucky to have them,” she smiles.

The TTC program was started with a direct federal appropriation. The annual budget must now be funded through community support from individuals, foundations, corporations, and other organizations. Recent donors to the program include the City of Seattle Department of Information Technology, the Adobe Community Foundation, and private donations from individuals in the community.

Amy’s talent and commitment has helped the TTC program thrive. “Her management of the TTC has left the teaching staff free to focus on curriculum development and their students’ success, while Amy focused on reporting outcomes, staff support, systems, statistics, and documentation,” Paula says.

Amy also manages the Deaf-Blind program’s Independent Living classes as well as the Group Supported Employment program. “There are a lot of things I like about my job,” she says. “I like using sign language. I like working with people of a different background and the opportunities that are here for people -- the opportunities for change. I like being able to put supports for people [in place] that are really going to work.”

Now Amy is playing a major role in the Deaf-Blind program’s new strategic planning process. “We’re going to involve others from the Lighthouse and in the Deaf-Blind community. We want to make sure our services are relevant, that they are what people want. There have been changes in the community,” she explains. The five-phase process includes collecting information from the community, determining how to develop resources, and creating a response to current needs. “It’s a very long implementation process. I think we’ll be stronger. I think this is a process that’s really going to help us and the community.”

Recently earning a Master’s degree in Not-For-Profit Leadership from Seattle University, Amy brings special expertise to the intensive strategic planning process. She spent sixteen months in classes covering everything from non-profit financial management to public speaking to the basics of being a good supervisor. “I was hooked once again,” she exclaims. “It was an excellent program. I feel like I could go through it again and learn more.”

“I feel like I can be more of a resource for staff. I’d do it again in a minute,” she adds. “The social justice aspect was really important to me.”

Amy’s passion for social justice led to her involvement with Shalom Bayit, a subcommittee of the National Council of Jewish Women, where she serves on the advisory committee. “It’s a program that supports women who have left domestic violence situations. I’m really excited; it’s the first time I’ve had a chance to serve on something like that. It’s pretty cool.”

Amy also brings her creative abilities to the community. She is famous for the intricate cakes she donates to such programs as Abused Deaf Women’s Advocacy Services’ annual auction and the Lighthouse Deaf-Blind retreat. “I made [a cake for the retreat] that looked like a computer Braille display in frosting. People thought it was real,” she remembers.

“Amy is the Lighthouse renaissance woman -- she’s fabulous!” exclaims Paula. “She has great relationships with outside agencies and with other Lighthouse departments. She’s sought out to be on every team. Amy has one foot planted in Lighthouse history, and she is also a big part of the Lighthouse’s future.”

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