AMA PDX Member Spotlight: Amanda Garrick
Welcome to our AMA Member Spotlight series, where we shine a light on marketing professionals from our community. Each spotlight will delve into the journey, insights, and expertise of a local marketer and member of AMA PDX. Join us as we celebrate their achievements and uncover the stories behind their success!
Below is a spotlight on AMA Member, Amanda Garrick:
Name
Amanda Garrick
Job Title, Company
Graphic Design and Marketing, NACM Commercial Services
www.linkedin.com/in/amandataciegarrick/
What do you do in marketing/communications? What are your day-to-day responsibilities like?
I am a one-person marketing “team,” so my day-to-day can range every week. I am an email specialist, graphic designer, website editor, social media coordinator, event marketer, and more. I plan, organize, and implement everything we do. Basically, if it has our logo on it, I probably touched it.
Do you have any recent wins or professional achievements you'd like to share?
Funny timing — I just finished the Certified Guru Email Specialist course and passed the test last week (www.certifiedguru.com). Even though I’m creating marketing emails every week, I’m a big believer that there’s always something new to learn. I also attended an AMA course on LinkedIn ads that was incredibly helpful, and I can’t wait to start testing what I learned.
Do you have a favorite marketing tool or resource that you use in your everyday work?
I don’t know that I have one favorite tool I use every day, but I do have a newer one I started using toward the end of 2025 after a recommendation from a fellow marketer: Gamma (gamma.app). It is an AI tool that creates presentations, websites, docs, and more.
I used it to help pull together reporting on all of our 2025 marketing efforts. Like AMA, we’re also an association that offers both education and services, and my CEO wanted clearer insight into which topics and speakers were resonating most — along with what types of content were performing best across email, social, and beyond.
I was able to plug in data from multiple reports and Excel sheets, and Gamma turned it into insights with visuals. Obviously, it’s AI — so trust but verify — but it was incredibly helpful.
Honorable mention to Canva — even though I live in Adobe Creative Cloud most days, Canva makes it incredibly easy to turn around high volumes of content quickly.
Why did you choose to be an AMA member?
Being a “team of one” can be tough. I wanted a space where I could share frustrations, wins, and ideas with people who get it. I also really value having access to education I can learn from and revisit when I need it.
Marketing is constantly changing — algorithms, AI, email platforms, you name it — and it’s hard to keep up with everything on your own.
Plus, a manager in my office told me that apparently, you have to leave the house and the office to meet people and make friends. 😜
What are your favorite hobbies?
I have been hopping back on the analog train and trying to get off my devices more. So I have been trying to get back into old hobbies that don’t include my computer or phone. So I am trying to do more hands-on crafting, junk journaling, watercolor, and many other crafts.
But I do enjoy photography, designing, and editing for fun as well, but I do so much on my computer. I am stepping back a little on those hobbies.
What are some of your favorite parts about living in the Pacific Northwest?
I’m definitely more of an indoor girl, but I love that the PNW offers options for just about anything you want to do. It’s beautiful no matter where you go — ocean, forest, mountains, or desert.
I’ve had the privilege of living on both the east and west sides of Oregon, and no matter where I’ve been, it’s been beautiful. It definitely comes with a wide range of weather, and while I’d love it to be less wet and windy, we wouldn’t have all the lush green landscapes without it.
I also love that the PNW feels like it's full of foodies. There is always something different you can try, and food carts galore. Our office loves participating in various “food weeks,” like Burger Week, Pizza Week, and more. Watch out, Dumpling Week is coming in February!