Meet Amber Maledy: Making Learning More Engaging with Her Energy and Humor

When you talk to Amber Maledy, even for just a few minutes, one thing is apparently clear—she genuinely cares about people. Whether she’s helping new employees prepare for their jobs, supporting her team, or leading a difficult conversation about human trafficking, her approach to life is rooted in patience, empathy, and a little humor.

Amber currently serves as a senior manager on our Collaborative Learning team, where she combines her background in social work, her passion for teaching, and, by her own admission, the “huge tech nerd” inside her to create engaging and meaningful learning experiences. But her path into training wasn’t planned.

Before coming to Cornerstones of Care, Amber worked with individuals with developmental disabilities. That experience helped her hone one of the skills she still values today. “I found my passion in helping explain things in different ways to help people truly understand how to do things,” she shared.

That skill was useful when she came to Cornerstones of Care in 2015 as a foster care case manager. At the time, the state of Missouri implemented a new practice model called the Signs of Safety, and Amber was asked to help train our staff on the initiative. “It was really useful because I was able to communicate ideas and break down information, so no matter who I was working with, I could help them succeed at meeting their goals,” she explained. “That experience changed everything. I discovered that I really like training people in a formalized setting.”

When a position opened on our Collaborative Learning team in 2019, she applied and quickly knew she had found the right fit. “My love has grown for imparting knowledge to others ever since.”

Remembering the dread she had for some of her college classes with endless PowerPoint presentations and instructors who simply “talked at” students, Amber purposely makes her trainings engaging, focusing on interactive learning instead of lectures. She intentionally creates opportunities for people to participate in ways that feel comfortable for them, whether that is through large-group discussions, small-group breakout chats, hands-on activities, or even sticky notes on the wall.

“Everybody learns differently,” she explained. “As a trainer, you have to have multiple types of interactions throughout a training so you can hit all the different learning styles.”

Among the topics Amber trains on, one area especially close to her heart is human trafficking prevention. Her passion for the subject is deeply personal. “My sister experienced some exploitation when she was a teenager,” Amber shared. “I think it’s really important that people have the information about prevention and understand that it doesn’t just happen to people ‘over there.’ It can happen to anyone.”

When facilitating a sensitive training topic, Amber is open and honest from the beginning, acknowledging that the day will be emotionally draining. She prioritizes creating a safe space, checking in on the group throughout the day, and encouraging participants to practice self-care and check in on each other. This compassion helps everyone feel supported as they navigate the subject.

However, when discussing dry topics, Amber relies on stories and humor to keep people engaged, especially when the content isn’t that exciting. “If I’m training on something that is boring, I let them know that,” she laughed. “We should be personable and have fun.”

Her authenticity makes it easy for participants to relax and stay involved during her sessions. She’s not just their trainer, but a real person they can connect with.

Amber openly admits that many of the skills she uses today were developed over time through experiences, mentorships, and her love of learning. Believing growth never stops, she’s currently enrolled in a certificate program for inclusive leadership.

That mindset also influences how she leads her team. “One thing I really like about our team is that we all learn from each other,” she explained. “Just because I’m a manager doesn’t mean that I don’t learn from the people I supervise. Everyone on our team brings something unique. We hire for that diversity because we don’t want a bunch of clones that think the same exact way—that wouldn’t be beneficial for the organization or the people we teach.”

Outside of work, Amber is a devoted wife, a busy mom of two young children, a voracious reader, a lover of music, and a huge fan of the TV show Doctor Who. Mostly though, she enjoys spending time with her family, simply taking walks or playing outside with chalk and bubbles.

When asked about the biggest life lesson she’s learned, Amber answered without hesitation, “I don’t have to be perfect.” She describes herself as a “recovering perfectionist,” and says she’s learned to stop comparing her life to everyone else’s timeline. That same grace extends into her parenting philosophy as well. “Do your best, and if you make a mistake, own it,” she said. “It’s repairable, but you have to own what you did and repair it.”

Whether Amber is facilitating a training, mentoring a colleague, supporting her team, or spending time with her family and friends, she quickly puts people at ease and makes them feel comfortable. Her ability to balance her knowledge with her warm personality is what makes her such an impactful trainer and leader. And if you happen to hear a dad joke along the way? That’s just part of the experience.