Amber Checky (She/Her)
President
Amber is a non-profit leader, social change-maker and master facilitator! She has dedicated over 20 years working with affiliates of the National Federation for Just Communities including – formerly serving as the Executive Director of Anytown Leadership Program.
Amber is the Executive Officer & Co-Founder of Inclusion Counts, a human-kind organization dedicated to making diversity count, where she provides training, coaching and consulting on DEIB to businesses, schools and school districts.
A fierce advocate and defender of human rights, Amber was awarded the Matthew Shepard Award & scholarship in 2006 for playing a pivotal role in passing the Iowa Safe Schools Policy. This legislation required all Iowa schools to include anti-discrimination policies protecting LGBTQ+ students in school. She attributes her ‘fire’ to Anytown and the experiences she had as a delegate in 2002.
Outside of her role in justice education, Amber has worked with hundreds of schools and districts championing safe & healthy school & social-emotional learning initiatives, including serving as the Program Director & National Manager of Quality at Playworks, the Design Lab Manager for Substantial Classrooms and Content Manager for Social and Emotional Health at Alliance for a Healthier Generation.
Amber is certified in Power of Play, Group Management I & II & Open Circle, serves as a Board Member for the Arizona Trans Youth & Parent Organization and AbilityPath and is a proud adoptive and foster parent.