AMBUCS Resource Center Staff

AMBUCS Resource CenterThe AMBUCS Resource Center provides sales, marketing and other support for chapters. It also acts as AMBUCS national headquarters to the outside world. AMBUCS Resource Center staff is always ready to help you. Feel free to use our easy contact form to reach out.

ambucs@ambucs.org
1-800-838-1845
Fax: 336-852-6830

Mailing Address:
P.O. Box 5127
High Point, NC 27262

Shipping / Physical Address:
4285 Regency Drive
Greensboro, NC 27410
Printable directions

Office hours: 8:30am – 5:00 pm EST, Monday through Friday

Staff Directory

Administration

Jay handles executive level decisions or concerns. Jessica oversees chapter funding/grants, all major donor functions, national and named scholarships, the Veterans Initiative, chapter building  and scorecard questions. Jake oversees Amtryke design and technical support, and the National Amtryke Wish List. Finally, Tony is our main man in the warehouse.

Chief Executive Officer • Jay Laurens (800) 838-1845 x123 jayl@ambucs.org

The nonprofit bug clearly got ahold of our fearless leader, Jay. He’s spent more than 20 years in nonprofit management, predominantly working with children and adults with special needs and joined AMBUCS in January 2017. Jay has his Certificate in Nonprofit Management from Duke University and his M.A. in Special Education from Lenoir-Rhyne University. Outside of work he enjoys fitness, creative writing, acoustic guitar and home repair. Jay has four adult children – Drew, Matt, Ashley and Harley. Personally, the values that guide him are determination, integrity, compassion, vulnerability, curiosity and creativity. “Life is like riding a bicycle…to keep your balance, you have to keep pedaling and moving forward” is a favorite quote of his. Jay strongly believes in the AMBUCS mission and is inspired by knowing he plays a small role in helping our dedicated volunteer members accomplish that mission.

Chief Operating Officer • Jessica Wall(800) 838-1845 x113 jessicaw@ambucs.org

Jessica is a self-proclaimed “cool, nonprofit nerd” and began her AMBUCS journey in February 2014. She obtained her B.A. in Journalism and Mass Communications/English from Averett University and a M.S. in Mass Communications from South Dakota State University. She worked in higher education before coming to AMBUCS. Jessica and her partner Steven welcomed a beautiful baby girl, Gracie, into the world in January 2022. She also has a corgi named Madoc and a Tabby cat named Tookie. While she has an impressive Steven King collection, “The Power of One” by Bryce Courtenay is her favorite book. A unique fact about Jessica is that she celebrates International Women’s Day annually by collecting, purchasing and donating sanitary products for those in need. “At AMBUCS, I’ve been fortunate to grow, not only as a professional but also as a human. Our volunteers are extraordinary. Knowing them is the opportunity to see the best parts of humanity in action,” she said.

Director of Amtryke Design and Technical Support • Jake Schumacher(800) 838-1845 x117 jakes@ambucs.org

Jake is originally from North Carolina, was raised in South Carolina, and recently moved back to NC to join the AMBUCS team. He graduated in 2015 from Erskine College with a degree in Physics. His background includes lean manufacturing/continuous improvement, Solidworks design, and metal fabrication. He started working with the AMBUCS team in November of 2018 and officially joined the staff in 2021. Jake says, “I have really enjoyed the family atmosphere that surrounds the AMBUCS organization. My favorite part of working at AMBUCS is having the opportunity to make such an impact on others in a positive and uplifting way.” When he’s not at work, you can typically find him lounging around the house with his dogs and his fiancée Kayla, working on a project in the garage, or out on the golf course. He tries to live his life by two mottos “Do unto others as you would have them do unto you” and “Impossible isn’t something that can’t be done, it’s just something that hasn’t been done before”.

Warehouse Assistant • Tony Salvato

Before moving to North Carolina, Tony lived in Connecticut with his parents and siblings. After two years of volunteering, Tony officially joined the team in February 2010 to share his mechanically inclined talents and passion for the AMBUCS mission. He takes pride as the Warehouse Assistant in knowing that what he does when he walks into the building every day is not only important, but necessary, and helps Amtryke recipients experience a special milestone in their lives. In his down time, Tony enjoys tinkering, cooking, gardening, Halloween decorating and giving away candy to trick-o-treaters. He also has a furry friend at home named Stitch, Tony’s beloved Yorkshire Terrier who, occasionally, can be seen wearing holiday sweaters (beware: Stitch is friendly to Tony… but quite wary of others).

Marketing and Membership

Tiffany oversees our marketing and communication, including AMBUCS.org, our social media, AMBUCS Magazine, and chapter marketing support. Janice is our membership guru and oversees our Big Hat Club, friends and member information changes, chapter rosters and gift acknowledgements.

Director of Marketing and Communication • Tiffany Albright(800) 838-1845 x115 tiffanya@ambucs.org

Tiffany is a nonprofit administrator and artist. In the past decade, she’s worked with organizations like the North Carolina Theatre Conference, Triad Stage, Communities in Schools, and Film at Lincoln Center. She holds a Master of Public Affairs from UNC Greensboro and a BA in Film Studies from UNC Wilmington. She joined AMBUCS in June 2022. Her primary interests are in expanding accessibility and finding ways to more closely align nonprofit organizations with the needs of their communities. She’s also an award-winning film director, producer, and screenwriter. She lives in Greensboro with a rambunctious 13-year-old and two rescue dogs.

Membership Service Coordinator • Janice Blakenship(800) 838-1845 x118 janiceb@ambucs.org

Janice began working for National AMBUCS in September 2000 and her knowledge of everything AMBUCS is invaluable to her colleagues. Janice’s expertise lies in bookkeeping and accounting and she brings that and so much more to the organization. Janice has three adult children – Charlotte, Melissa and Mike and is an amazing dog mom to her precious ten-year-old pup, Maddy. She describes herself as loving, trusting and shy. Something you likely don’t know about Janice is that she was a clarinet player from third grade until she graduated high school! In her downtime she loves to cross stitch. Janice said the most rewarding part about working at AMBUCS is, “seeing the happiness on a child’s face as when riding their bikes for the first time and seeing the members giving their time and volunteering hours for our mission. They open their hearts to help.”

Customer Service

Maria and Kayla are our customer service experts. They handle all customer service needs, including Amtryke/AMBUCS Store orders, invoices, returns and Amtryke/AMBUCS Store accounts payable/receivable.

Customer Service Coordinator • Maria Austin(800) 838-1845 x114 mariaa@ambucs.org

Maria began working for AMBUCS in August of 2018. She attended Guilford Technical Comm College and Everest University Online and has many years of Administrative/Clerical and customer service experience. Her professional skills include patience, communication and attention to detail. For her, the most pleasing part about working for AMBUCS is “enjoying the feeling of making a difference and the impact we have on people.” She was born and raised in Greensboro, North Carolina and can be described as loyal, empathetic and real. When Maria was young, she wanted to be an author, so it’s fitting that her favorite quote is by Maya Angelou: “We delight in the beauty of the butterfly, but rarely admit the changes it has gone through to achieve that beauty.” Maria is driven by her personal values: love, truth and compassion and her hobbies include cooking, reading, gardening and watching movies.

Customer Service Representative • Kayla Schumacher(800) 838-1845 x116 kaylas@ambucs.org

Kayla was born and raised in Manning, SC, and now calls Winston-Salem, NC home. She graduated from Central Carolina Technical College in 2019 with a degree in Health Science and from Florence-Darlington Technical College in 2021 with a degree in Medical Laboratory Technology. She worked for Mcleod Health Clarendon Hospital in Manning before joining the AMBUCS team officially in 2023. In her spare time, Kayla enjoys crafting and spending time with her husband Jake, and their two dogs Sam and Cooper. “In the short time I have been at AMBUCS, I have felt so welcomed and appreciated, the feeling is truly unmatched. I look forward to building relationships and impacting the lives of those who are a part of our organization!”

Charitable Programs

Jessica Wall and Janice Blakenship manage all AMBUCS charitable programs, including the National Amtryke Wish List, the AMBUCS Scholarships for Therapists Program and evaluation sites.