Amy Mentuck, who recently took over the leadership of Nature of Words, has spent more than half her life strengthening nonprofits with mission drivers including environmental preservation, education access, poverty reduction, opportunity youth and arts and culture. She’s helped raise community profiles and millions of dollars for local causes like Heart of Oregon Corps and BendFilm and national nonprofits like Leave No Trace Center for Outdoor Ethics and the Outdoor Industry Association.

Her passion for literary arts was sparked in second grade when she won the creative writing prize at her elementary school’s annual art festival. As a lifetime voracious reader and amateur writer, she finds respite and rejuvenation in both. Her psychology and kinesiology degree from University of New Hampshire speak to an earnest fascination with human behavior and motivation.

With deep New England roots and a love of east coast cities, Amy is often asked, “Why Oregon?” After adventuring in some of the most picturesque U.S. mountain towns including Jackson Hole, Flagstaff, Whitefish, Telluride and Boulder, she found her true bearings in Bend. If she isn’t reading, you’ll find her on a trail run, mountain biking or skiing with her son, Jack.

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