Meet The Admins

Amanda Tingle coordinates logistical details for Wake Downtown, including room reservations, building and parking access, and financial transactions. Ms. Tingle also provides administrative support for the Department of Engineering. Ms. Tingle received her B.A. degree in Art History from the University of the South (Sewanee) and a B.S.A. degree in Biological Science from the University of Georgia. Prior to coming to Wake Forest University in 2011, she was employed as an Administrative Specialist at the University of Georgia’s Carl Vinson Institute of Government and as an Executive Coordinator for the University of Virginia’s Department of Biomedical Engineering. Ms. Tingle spent 5 years as an integral part of the Wake Forest Scholars Office. In 2016, she became the first Office Manager for Wake Downtown.

Alana James leads Wake Downtown's community engagement strategies, working to identify partnership opportunities that effectively promote and support mutually beneficial university and community priorities. Activities include coordinating STEAM exploration events with local K-12 partners, co-curricular opportunities with peer institutions and providing entry points for community members to access partnership, mentorship, and other resources. Prior to this inaugural role at Wake Downtown, she served as the Director of Community-Based Collaborations at The United Way of Forsyth County for nearly seven years. Alana graduated from Wake Forest in 2009 and received her MA in Management from the Schools of Business in 2010. An Ohio native, she fell in love with Winston-Salem as a student while volunteering and serving at community organizations as a member of Alpha Phi Omega.

Clay Hamilton directs the Downtown Ambassadors student group and manages Wake Downtown’s social media accounts. He also assists with community engagement and events, prospective student tours, and interdisciplinary initiatives, realizing the vision of Wake Downtown as a piece of Wake Forest embedded in the heart of Winston-Salem. A graduate of the class of 2018, Clay spent his undergraduate career combining his lifelong passion for the arts with his interests in medicine and the sciences, completing a major in music and minors in biology and chemistry. He received instruction in piano and voice before finding a musical home at the conducting podium, working extensively with the Concert Choir and University Orchestra and completing an honors thesis as co-Music Director of the Department of Theatre’s production of "Spring Awakening." Outside of the classroom, Clay directed Chi Rho, WFU's men's Christian a cappella ensemble, and served with Winston-Salem community organizations as a member of Alpha Phi Omega.