Meet The Team

Amanda Tingle coordinates logistical details for Wake Downtown, including room reservations, building/parking access, and financial transactions. 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.

Jordan Buzzett is the Wake Downtown Fellow for 2022-2023 and serves as the program coordinator for Friends-in-STEM Mentoring and as the staff advisor to the Downtown Ambassadors student group. Originally from Florida, she attended Wake Forest University on a Graylyn Scholarship and graduated summa cum laude in May 2022 with a B.S. in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology. As an undergraduate student, Jordan engaged in research with Biology and Anthropology faculty members, and learned about Winston-Salem through various service engagements. Jordan is incredibly grateful for this opportunity to learn from the team at Wake Downtown, and hopes to one day apply her experience in community programming toward improving community health. Currently, she enjoys volunteering her time as a doula, and in July 2023, Jordan will begin an M.D. at Wake Forest University School of Medicine.