Meet Our Dedicated Staff
Our staff is dedicated to the helping First Priority students to be effective, faithful leaders who humbly serve God and others.
We utilize the team approach, which gives staff members the opportunity to leverage his or her God-given talents and abilities to best serve the interests of others.
To request a speaker for your church, youth group, organization, small group, or company, please contact us here.
Amber was born and raised in Tampa. After graduating from Leto High School, she attended Florida State University for an undergraduate degree and the University of South Florida for a graduate degree. Her background includes working with at-risk teens and families, non-profit work, and program development.
She has been involved with First Priority of Tampa Bay since 2009, when she began serving as a Parent Partner in her son’s First Priority group. In 2013, she was appointed Executive Director and then President in 2023.
Amber is a professionally trained and board certified coach (BCC) and a certified nonprofit executive (CNE). Her primary focus with First Priority is program and training development, and donation partner relations. She also serves a panelist and member of the Hillsborough County Public School District's Student Online Safety and Human Trafficking Awareness Task Force.
Amber is available to speak on a wide range of topics including First Priority, boundaries, parenting, public education and faith based issues.
To read Amber’s article in the Journal for the Study of Religions and Ideologies: http://jsri.ro/ojs/index.php/jsri/issue/view/44.
To read Amber’s parenting blog, click here.
Carina was born and raised in central Florida, where she graduated from Leesburg High School and met her husband, Beau. In 2003, they moved to Tampa Bay and started a family. They are the proud parents of Landon and McKenzie.
Carina has been involved with First Priority of Tampa Bay since 2017, when she began serving as a Parent Partner in her son’s First Priority group. In 2018, she was appointed to the position of Pinellas County Director and then Executive Director in 2023.
Carina’s primary focus is vision casting, staff management, and day-to-day operations. She loves serving students and partnering with local churches to equip this generation with the hope of Christ.
Jamie Rustenburghe
Area Director, East Hillsborough
(813) 255-3852
jrustenburghe@firstprioritytampa.org