Young Professionals Spotlight: Amanda Doar

It’s Wednesday; you know what that means – YP Spotlight time! As many of you heard, the Corridor has started a Young Professionals Spotlight series in order to give attention to adults ages 18-30. This week marks the third YP in the series, Amanda Doar.

Amanda is a 25 year old Marketing/Event Coordinator for the Clay County Regional Events Center in Spencer. Originally from the Twin Cities, Amanda moved to the Corridor region after graduating from Southwest Minnesota State (SMSU) where she earned her Bachelor of Science in Marketing and Hospitality. By double majoring, she was better able to broaden her horizons during her job search.

So, how did a girl from the Twin Cities end up in Spencer? I spoke with Amanda last week to find out why.

“My future mother-in-law actually found out about the job while reading the Spencer Daily Reporter. I applied, got an interview in December of 2011 & started in January of 2012.”

Amanda’s job is really interesting. The Events Center expects a lot out of her and gives her ample responsibility throughout its office.

“I take care of the client from beginning to end. I’ll reserve the room, set up av equipment, negotiate contracts and follow up with an invoice at the end…that’s just the events side. From the marketing end of things, I will complete the marketing plan. That includes a press release, digital signage, email blasts, website updates and social media. I stay pretty busy.”

Currently, Amanda lives in Spencer with her (recent) fiance. :) He is from the area, so it was an easy sell to get her out of the big city.

“Now that I live here, I couldn’t imagine living back in the cities. It’s way too busy. I think the only thing we have to worry about here is the train going through town,” giggled Amanda.

There seems to be a trend with every person I’ve interviewed; they all like the area for the small town feel with bigger city amenities. It’s like the best of both worlds.

“The small town vibe is the best. How cool is it that I can drive down Main Street and be able to wave to someone I know at a stoplight? Not many places can say that. Plus, we have a movie theater, a mall and a hospital..so, it’s not like we’re completely in the middle of no where. Getting to know people on a personal level is something that I have really enjoyed during my first two years here.”

I can attest to Amanda’s experience in getting to know people. She works in the perfect industry to form relationships with people of all ages and demographics. I’ve had a similar experience in my short time with the Corridor, as well.

On top of the friendly community, what else does Amanda enjoy about living here?

“I like to workout. I take the Zumba class at the Y. My fiance and I go for walks around town a lot; that’s how I got to know many of the streets in Spencer. Winter is our busy season at the Events Center, so the weekends I do have free are spent doing housework or lounging around.”

Amanda gave me a great insight into the town of Spencer. She and her soon-to-be husband have high hopes of raising a family and retiring in the area. What a great testament to Clay County and the Corridor region!

See everybody next week! We’re switching things up and will be featuring a boy AND he’s from Storm Lake. Stay tuned!

Check out the rest of our blog here!

- Alexa Guessford