As Deputy Counsel of the Pennsylvania Convention Center Authority, V. Amanda Witts advises internal stakeholders on legal, administrative, procurement, and regulatory matters. Additionally, she oversees the Center’s Diversity, Inclusion & Anti-Discrimination Program.
Prior to joining the Center in 2014, she was an attorney at the Tucker Law Group (TLG), where she concentrated on employment discrimination, higher education, products liability, general liability and commercial matters. Witts handled cases at all stages, litigating in state and federal courts, and representing clients before administrative agencies such as the PA Human Relations Commission and the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission.
Earlier, Witts practiced at the Florham Park, N.J. offices of Drinker, Biddle & Reath where she focused primarily on large-scale products liability matters. The Philadelphia native is a graduate of Hampton University, graduating summa cum laude with a bachelor’s degree in marketing and later Georgetown University Law Center, where she was a Law Center scholar. Witts is active in the community, serving as a board member for Breakthrough Philadelphia, OIC Philadelphia and Philadelphia Academies.
In an interview with FunTimes Magazine Witts said, “My most defining moment, career-wise, was when I chose to leave Big Law and begin my career at TLG. That transition was a deviation from my course and it pushed me outside of my comfort zone. I’m glad I took that risk because my years at TLG were the most formative years of my career, thus far. I grew as an attorney and was exposed to much more, learning under some of the best litigators in the city. I gained lifetime mentors, challenging me to be the best I could be.
“In life, the most defining moment was my father’s passing. Watching my father transition really showed me the fragility of life. One day, he was his normal, witty, spry and sharp self, a day later he was being rushed to the hospital; three weeks later my siblings and [I] had to research hospices and make final arrangements. That showed me tomorrow is not promised. It reinforced the importance of faith, forgiveness, family and real friendship. I vowed to honor my father’s legacy by being more deliberate in living a fulfilling life-more traveling, dreaming big, living even bigger and most importantly, never settling for anything less than what makes me happy.
“The biggest challenges I face as a woman of color in the legal field are a lack of respect and access to the opportunities that our White male counterparts have. While organizations speak about the importance of diversity, many are doing very little to make sure they are diverse and provide equal treatment. As a young Black woman, people frequently assume I am the administrative assistant, paralegal, intern and, even, defendant before they acknowledge me as an attorney. I find my contributions and counsel are not always openly received because of my identity as a woman of color. I work to overcome these challenges by having the uncomfortable, albeit necessary, dialogue about these issues and by continuing to work hard to succeed in spite of this.
“The project I support that impacts the community the most is the work I do to support various organizations outside of work. I’ve been an engaged member of the Barristers’ Association of Philadelphia, helping plan, execute and participate in service projects ranging from expungement clinics, wills clinics, turkey drives and mentoring students and future attorneys.
“I” also am privileged to serve on the Boards of Directors for Breakthrough Philadelphia—an organization that builds a path from middle school to college graduation for underserved students from Philadelphia, Philadelphia and OIC- a non profit that assists the unemployed, underemployed and homeless by teaching the skills required to get jobs and advance careers. I also work with Philadelphia Academies, a program that connects high school students with career academics, leading to higher education rates, increased collegiate enrollment and greater civic engagement. As a board member, I am able to influence these organizations on a larger scale, helping ensure their vitality and enabling them to continue to serve these communities.
“To bridge the gap and build relationships between African Americans, Africans and Caribbean people, we need to promote more open-mindedness and communication. While we each have distinct backgrounds, traditions and rituals, our roots are the same. I believe we should spend more time learning about the history, values and traditions that make us unique and celebrate both these differences and similarities.
Women Of Influence 2018 In This Issue
