A Yuma legacy: Diane Umphress of Amberly’s Place passing the torch more than two decades later
News 11's Adonis Albright sits down with the outgoing & incoming Executive Directors to discuss the organization's vision moving forward
YUMA, Ariz. (KYMA, KECY) - Amberly's Place in Yuma announced this month that Executive Director Diane Umphress will be retiring in May. After more than two decades of tirelessly advocating for families grappling with domestic violence, Umphress is leaving behind a legacy like no other.
Amberly's Place is named after 10-year-old Amberly Mendoza, a little girl who was murdered in her bedroom in March of 1996. It's a mystery that still remains unsolved to this day. Umphress was one of 10 founding board members who established Amberly's Place in 1999, with permission from the Mendoza family to use Amberly's face and name as the foundation of the organization's advocacy efforts for families and victims of domestic violence.
Related: Amberly’s Place executive director to retire
In Umphress' place as Executive Director will be Tori Bourguignon, a Yuma native who previously served as a crisis response coordinator with the organization for nearly a decade. But now, she's stepping into an entirely new role.
“I am certainly excited about the opportunity to serve my community in this capacity, and to be able to take what our founding board members and Diane have built to this point and move it forward", said Bourguignon.
Umphress and Bourguignon want the public to know that the transition will be seamless, and the services they provide for victims will continue as they always have.
“The work is the same, it’s not going to change. She [Bourguignon] needs your support just as much, if not more than we did in the very beginning stages, because our world is changing, and our victims’ needs are changing. So please, don’t ever stop providing services and support", said Umphress.
On average, Amberly's Place helps roughly 3,000 victims a year across Yuma County. Since its inception, more than 50,000 people have walked through the doors of the local advocacy center. But the organization says the work they do each and every day wouldn't even be remotely possible, if it weren't for the unending support from the community.
“I don’t care if you brought a box of Girl Scout cookies here, or if you gave us $100,000 or anywhere in-between. Your act of kindness made this place possible, your act of kindness made that victim’s healing possible, and we couldn’t have done it - there’s no way it could have happened without you", said Umphress.
Bourguignon says she's looking forward to leading the charge, and is optimistic about what lies ahead.
"Every day we get to leave somebody better than we find them, and when the rest of the world isn’t looking, we know that something small that we did mattered to another, and that’s enough for us. That’s enough."
Umphress' last day with Amberly's Place will be May 15. She tells News 11 that she is beyond confident about passing the torch to Bourguignon, and continuing the crucial work of advocating for those who need them the most.
Click here to learn more about the kind of services that Amberly's Place provides, as well as information on how to make a donation. You can also dial the center's 24 hour helpline at (928) 373-0849.
