Brittany Luxton

 Executive Director

Brittany Luxton is WAMY’s Executive Director and has been with us for more than a decade. Although her co-workers know she oversees all important things, Brittany likes to work behind the scenes. Good luck with that, Brittany. WAMY staff will never stop abruptly walking into your office. A self-made, independent person, she is amazing at her job. Originally from California, Brittany has lived in the High Country for more than 20 years. She loves her family and church, UNC Tarheel basketball and Atlanta Falcons football, and daydreaming about vacations on a deserted island with no one knocking on her door.
brittany@wamycommunityaction.org

Sarah Freer

Director of Administration

Sarah Freer began as WAMY’s Social Work Intern and we never let her go. She recently served as our Family Development Director and Quality Assurance Manager and is now WAMY’s Director of Grant Writing. Since 2018, she has worn many hats while working at WAMY. Sarah loves the opportunity to help others in the community! She believes that people are capable of so much, sometimes they just need a helping hand.
sarah@wamycommunityaction.org

Allison Jennings

Director of Development

Allison Jennings- Putting the FUN in Fundraising, Allison was hired as the Director of Development for WAMY in July 2021. With more than 15 years of experience in nonprofit management, she considers her job at WAMY “the role of a lifetime.” She says, "Working for WAMY has been the greatest experience! The tremendous impact WAMY provides for our community makes my job extremely rewarding and the best.” She takes immense joy in connecting donors to the poverty fighting programs WAMY offers and using those gifts to help people and change lives. “I especially love being the Head of the Party Planning Committee for our Office,” admits Allison. Well, we agree. WAMY events really are the best and all fundraising efforts fight poverty in the area we serve.
allison@wamycommunityaction.org

Corey Babay

Finance Director

Corey, our Finance Director, brings a wealth of experience and a passion for making a positive impact in our community. Corey and his husband, Reggie, reside in the beautiful town of Valle Crucis, where they share their home with three dogs and two cats. Their son is attending college at UNC-G, and they are proud parents who deeply cherish their family. Corey is thrilled to join the WAMY team and is eager to contribute to our mission. He shared, "The challenges of this role can be demanding, but I am genuinely happy to improve the lives of others in need. It's an incredibly rewarding experience."
corey@wamycommunityaction.org

Yolanda Robertson

Volunteer Coordinator

Yolanda serves as our Volunteer Coordinator. Yolanda has years of experience in community engagement and program management and is passionate about building connections between individuals and communities.

April Beck

Housing & Energy Director

Housing & Energy Development Director, has been with WAMY since early 2020. April studied social work in college and, prior to joining WAMY, served adults with developmental disabilities as well as individuals with mental health and substance abuse disorders. April says her favorite part about her job is getting to meet new people and having the opportunity to assist them in a meaningful way. April is a single parent and once fit into the “very low-income” category; she believes her life experiences fuel her passion to be of service to others. WAMY Housing Programs frequently combine resources from within the community to assist families with critical home repairs—witnessing an outpour of support, whether through financial donations or volunteer services, has been inspiring to April. She considers her work with families and community partners a privilege and looks forward to continuing serving families in our rural communities.

Melanie Jirka

Lead Energy Auditor

Melanie (aka Mel) Jirka is WAMY’s Lead Energy Auditor for Avery, Mitchell and Yancey Counties. She says, “I learned about WAMY while serving as the mission’s chair for my church. The mission team has volunteered, and will continue to do so, for WAMY construction projects. In March of 2022, I was able to join the WAMY team as a full-time employee. It is such a blessing to be able to turn a passion into a career. It is so important that people have a safe place to call home. Everyone deserves to be warm, safe, and healthy.” Mel is often featured in our e-newsletter with awesome stories about her clients. She says Matthew 25:45 inspires her work. “He will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did not do for one of the least of these, you did not do for me.’

Leisa O'Mara

Family Development Director

Leisa O’Mara serves as WAMY’s Family Development Director. Serving others is one way that Leisa shows her committed love to her Savior, Christ Jesus. Leisa shares, "this is a God-calling passion that I work wholeheartedly pursuing the deepest needs of those in the communities within WAMY’s framework". Leisa feels that each member of the community deserves the best life possible and being able to connect families with needed resources provides a means to sustainable living, growth, and knowledge of success. She feels that being obedient to the calling God has laid on her heart has blessed her with a caring staff to work with while meeting wonderful people daily to serve alongside. Leisa turns to God’s Holy Scriptures for endurance, encouragement, and understanding, one of the verses that she uses to exemplify the Image of Jesus Christ to those around her is, "And the King will answer and say to them, 'Assuredly, I say to you, inasmuch as you did it to one of the least of these My brethren, you did it to Me." leisa@wamycommunityaction.org

Lynette Walker

Family Development Coordinator

Lynette Walker is the Family Development Coordinator serving Watauga, Avery, Mitchell, and Yancey counties. She received a bachelor's degree in Community Health Education from Portland State University and, after relocating to Boone, has been with WAMY for nearly a decade. Lynette is passionate about her work helping families achieve a significantly higher standard of living by facilitating their education and training to achieve their goals of gainful employment and satisfying professional careers. It brings her great joy to be part of her clients' journey while working closely with them to obtain financial security and fulfill our important mission of helping families become self-sufficient.

Seth Moore

Intake Specialist

Based in Boone, NC, I am an enthusiastic sports aficionado in my free time. With over a year of experience at WAMY, I serve as the Intake Specialist. In this role, I guide clients through the application process for our various programs and assist in referring them to additional resources that may be beneficial. My passion lies in offering a "hand up" to individuals facing seemingly insurmountable challenges, helping them access the support and resources needed to improve their situations.
seth@wamycommunityaction.org

Jim Shoupe

Housing Technician

James (Jim) Shoupe is WAMY’s Housing Technician and is also Pastor of Mt Calvary Freewill Baptist Church in Spruce Pine, NC. Jim says, "God led me to WAMY on May 4th 2020. I will never forget how God worked with my heart. I will never forget my interview and meeting WAMY employees the first time. Melissa and April made me feel like I belonged here. Working for WAMY has been a great extension of my ministry, the fulfilment of helping others is overwhelming. We have helped a lot of people in my brief time here and hope to help many more. We trust God to bless the challenging work of fundraising, and He always comes through to see the thankfulness of clients is worth it all. I feel like I work for the best nonprofit organization. May God continue to bless people through WAMY community action." Jim says this verse guides him in his work with WAMY. "Be not forgetful to entertain strangers: for thereby some have entertained angels unaware." Hebrews 13:2

WATAUGA COUNTY

Tom Hughes, Chair
Natalie Bovino
Cameron Moser
Tim Hodges
Cynthia Dillon

AVERY COUNTY

Samantha Knight
Cathy Buresch
Arlene Weiner (Treasurer and 3rd Vice Chair)

MITCHELL COUNTY

Marvin Walker (1st Vice Chair)
Morgan Suddreth
Ruthie Norwood

YANCEY COUNTY

Vanessa Letterman
Darlene Marsh
Angie Vance
Deanna Gouge