Hard working, driven and family-oriented, Amy Weaver is a broker and team leader at The Knell Group with a deep-seated passion for her hometown of Peoria. She joined the group while still in high school, working as a runner after classes and in the summer. After being accepted into a dentalhygiene program, she realized her heart was pulling her in a different direction, so she returned to Peoria and earned her real estate license. With the late Mary Ann Knell as her trusted mentor, she learned the ins and outs working every position on the team—a path she credits for understanding all of the joys and challenges of the team members she leads today.
As the mother of 17-year-old twins, family is everything to Weaver. Her daughter Taylor is a senior on the Dunlap swim team, son Will is a three-year varsity football player, and they enjoy spending weekends with grandparents, aunts, uncles and cousins at the family’s lake house at Oak Run. Weaver plays a variety of roles within Dunlap schools, serving on the school board and as PTO president, as well as swim booster rep and football mom. She loves vacationing with family—especially at the beach—though as a busy business leader and mother, she finds little time to herself. “And I wouldn’t have it any other way,” she declares. “I have never missed a swim meet or football game, as I will work late hours or weekends to get everything done in order to always be there for both my children and my business.”
- If you could change one thing about your family, what would it be? We need to slow down. I didn’t realize how busy our lives were until COVID hit and everything came to a halt. If anything good came out of this year, it is that I have learned how important nights are as a family.
- Favorite leisure activity: I love to read. It’s the one thing I do every night before bed, and sometimes I feel it is the only part of my day that has gone as planned.
- Proudest achievement: My children, by far. They make me want to be the best that I can be. I am so proud of them and their bright futures.
- What’s one thing you’d rather pay someone to do than do yourself? Clean my house! I walk into beautiful homes every day, and that is what I like to come home to as well.
- Which of the five senses do you treasure most? Sight. I love to watch my children play the sports they love and watch them grow into the beautiful people they are, view the beautiful homes of the area, and see the smiling faces of family and friends. A bonus is the smile you see when you find someone that perfect home!
- Favorite sport to watch: My daughter is going to kill me, but I love watching my son play football. There is just something about fall evenings, Friday night lights and the cheers of a crowd.
- What’s some of the best advice you’ve been given? The time with your children flies by, so enjoy it and make sure you have no regrets when they leave.
- App I can’t live without: Facebook. It’s the best way to stay in contact with long-distance friends, and a bonus is that we use it a lot for advertising.
- What do you know now that you didn’t know at age 30? So many things! One of the biggest life lessons I have learned is that it is not about the quantity of friends you have, but the quality of the friendships.
- Favorite aspect of central Illinois: There are so many things I love: the seasons, the history, the views, the locally owned businesses and most of all, the people. I love to watch the eyes of newcomers to the area as I take them up Grandview Drive and down Prospect! When they get to see some of the river views, they are in awe. PM