Atlee Tyree, M.Ed., is the Community Engagement Strategist with the Office of Strategic Initiatives at the Tennessee Department of Health. In this role, she facilitates a Community of Practice for County Health Councils across the state, where community members and health department staff share best practices and network across regions to meet local needs.
Atlee has developed expertise in community engagement throughout her career, both locally and abroad. After receiving a Bachelor’s degree in Art History and African Studies from Emory in 2010, she joined the Peace Corps and taught English in Ukraine for 3 years. She moved to Nashville shortly thereafter to earn her Master of Education from Vanderbilt’s Community Development Action program. Through this program, she worked closely with the community outreach arm of Vanderbilt Nursing School, with the Mayor’s Office of New Americans, and with many refugee-serving nonprofits throughout Nashville. Upon graduation, she began work at Project Return, Inc., a nonprofit serving those recently incarcerated. She returned to the school environment in 2018 as a Community School Coordinator for Metro Nashville Public Schools, where she organized resources for her school’s neighborhood, particularly through the height of the COVID-19 pandemic. Additionally, over the years, she has organized community activities for a regional park in southeast Nashville.
Atlee was born and raised in Corpus Christi, Texas, and loves any outdoor activity, especially hiking and birding with her blue heeler mix, Frannie. If she’s indoors, you can find her baking, listening to live music, or playing a game with friends.