Amy Oberholtzer

Amy was born and raised in Ann Arbor, MI and has lived in the Chicago area since graduating from Kalamazoo College over 40 years ago. Amy and her husband, Will, raised two kids in Northbrook, IL. Her work life has been varied, but she most enjoyed years spent teaching preschool and assistant teaching at a local elementary school. She is committed to ensuring that mental health is normalized and prioritized in our community and schools and to empowering families to foster lifelong resilience in their children. It was Amy’s daughter’s mental illness and courageous battle against anxiety, depression and anorexia that led her to found CATCH, Community Action Together for Children’s Health.

Amy believes in the power of connection and sharing stories. She knows that finding community matters as we navigate our increasingly more complicated parenting and family journeys. She believes that healing and recovery is possible when one faces mental health challenges and that reducing the stigma around mental illness allows us all to find needed support without fear and without shame.