Director of Financial Operations Amye Bell loves the opportunity to apply her career in finance at WBA. Amye was drawn to the firm’s focus on community involvement and passion for their profession. Here, she supports our team by managing financial aspects of projects, allowing the design team to stay focused on the creative process. She brings to the table a strong attention to detail and a mind for processes. Outside the office, Amye enjoys yoga, traveling, and spending time with her dog, Birdie.
Tell us about yourself!
I studied accounting at Mississippi State University. I moved back to Jackson after graduation and decided to make it home. My parents and siblings are all here and I love being able to spend time with them.
What made you make the jump from banking to working at a growing architecture firm?
From the beginning of my audit career I was always questioning how my work really benefitted anyone or anything. Auditors are notoriously disliked, so this was a nagging question. I knew I wanted to make a big change so I started looking for not just a new job, but a new career. I somehow landed an interview with WBA for a position they didn’t even have and I thought “this is it”, I knew I wanted to be here. And then Michael Boerner called me and told me they decided not to create the position! Can you believe that?! Thankfully he called me a month later to offer me the job and I have not looked back since. I love knowing that what I do every day is contributing in some way, directly or indirectly, to the amazing projects that WBA is creating. Whether it’s a place for people to come together as a community and cheer on their favorite team or a place for a student to go and feel inspired as they work toward getting their education, I am grateful that I get to be a part of it.
What are the values that drive the way you work?
I always consider if I was allowing someone to have control over my bank account, what qualities would I want in that person? Being trustworthy is the most important thing to me. I think anyone in a financial role has to be honest and perform their job with the utmost integrity.
What’s the best part of being a part of Team WBA?
The work culture and the environment that our leadership fosters are unlike anything I have ever experienced. Since I started my career I have worked for a 400+ employee corporate firm all the way to a tiny school in the middle of the mountains in Costa Rica, and I can honestly say I have never been happier to come to work every day. It is a privilege to get to work with the amazing people that make up our growing team.
When you aren’t crunching the numbers and keeping everyone in line, what can we find you doing?
I volunteer at the Mississippi Children’s Museum as well as the Mississippi Museum of Art. Both of are doing mazing work and it’s important for me, as a member of this community, to contribute to that in whatever way I can. I also enjoy gardening, live music and traveling.