Amy Zell

Amy Zell is a dedicated mental health advocate, grief educator, and community innovator with extensive experience in suicide prevention, postvention, and grief support. As a Strategic Doing Fellow, Certified Family Peer Supporter, NAMI Ohio Family Peer Support Trainer, and Psychological Autopsy Investigator, she has trained countless individuals and organizations to respond effectively to crises and support those impacted by loss. Amy currently serves as the Director of Programming and Suicide Postvention Coordinator for Trumbull County LOSS under Grief and Loss In Motion, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that provides peer support for anyone experiencing grief or traumatic loss. She also leads community-focused initiatives as a Maker:Grief Trainer, integrating creative approaches to healing and resilience.

Amy’s career combines technology, education, and community engagement. She has managed makerspaces, taught digital skills, and developed programming for teens and adults alike, empowering individuals to explore new technologies and unlock their creative potential. Prior to her nonprofit leadership roles, Amy worked extensively in libraries and community organizations, delivering programs ranging from 3D printing and coding clubs to digital conversion and lending services. She holds a Master of Library and Information Science (MLIS) from Kent State University and a Google IT Support Certificate, demonstrating her commitment to lifelong learning and professional growth.

Beyond her professional expertise, Amy is deeply committed to service and advocacy. She has been recognized with multiple honors, including induction into the Brookfield Distinguished Alumni Hall of Fame and the Thiel College Distinguished Alumni Award. She serves her community as President-Elect of the Brookfield Rotary and has a long history of volunteer leadership with organizations such as the Girl Scouts of Northeast Ohio. In her personal life, Amy enjoys spending time with family, riding her motorcycle, and creating projects that support her nonprofit initiatives. Guided by Maya Angelou’s words, “I can be changed by what happens to me, but I refuse to be reduced by it,” she continues to transform her experiences into meaningful service, education, and support for others.

• Ohio Certified Prevention Specialist Assistant
• NAMI Family to Family Facilitator
• CALM and CONVO CALM Trainer
• Crisis Specialist
• Train the Trainer: Family Peer Support
• Certified Thanatologist
• Business Consultant Certification
• Certified Strategic Doing Workshop Leader
• Death and Grief Studies Certification
• Psychological Autopsy Investigator, Certified
• Family Peer Supporter
• IBM Software Engineer Pre-apprenticeship Certificate
• Software Engineer Essentials
• Psychological First Aid
• Become a Customer Service Specialist
• Enterprise Design Thinking Practitioner
• IBM Agile Explorer
• IBM New Collar Professional Skill
• The Path to Moral Leadership: Hard-Edged Skills to Start Building a Better World
• QPR Trainer
• Mental Health First Aid
• Facilitating Suicide Bereavement Groups for Children and Teens
• Ohio Notary Public
• Pound Unplugged
• Strategic Doing Practitioner
• Trauma Informed Yoga

• Kent State University - MLIS

• Distinguished Alumni Award
• Brookfield Distinguished Alumni Hall of Fame Class of 2020
• 2020 H.O.P.E. “Honoree for Lifetime Achievement”
• 2020 Woman of Distinction
• Patriotic Citizen Award
• Presidential Volunteer Service Award
• Hometown Hero
• Lamplighter Award
• Commitment to Literacy

• Brookfield Rotary
• National LOSS Team
• Trumbull County LOSS (Local Outreach to Survivors of Suicide Loss)
• Youngstown Alumnae Panhellenic Association
• Youngstown Area Delta Zeta Alumnae Association