Community relations, government affairs, diversity and inclusion, workforce development, economic development, education, health and housing – are just some of areas of responsibility that are under the umbrella of Deputy Chief of Staff for External Affairs in the office of Columbus Mayor Andrew J. Ginther. And Dawn Tyler Lee, the highest ranking African-American appointed official in the Ginther Administration, is the one who holds the handle to that umbrella.

Her days are filled with strategy development, stakeholder engagement and relationshipbuilding, working to ensure that voices across the community are heard by the Ginther administration. She works to be a change agent, thought partner and problem solver for the city in which she was raised. It is job for which she is well prepared given her impressive work history.

As the Senior Vice President for Community Impact at United Way in Central Ohio, Dawn and her team were responsible for the investment of approximately $26 million annually in programs and initiatives that helped build pathways out of poverty for central Ohio individuals and families.

As an Assistant Vice President for Government and Community Relations at the Ohio State University, she conceptualized, designed, launched and led Partners Achieving Community Transformation (PACT), a community redevelopment initiative on the near east side of Columbus, and became its founding executive director. Under her leadership, the foundation was laid for a comprehensive neighborhood plan that resulted in a $30 million Choice Neighborhoods Grant from the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development and leveraged significant additional local investment. The implementation of the Blueprint for Community Investment continues today.

Other previous employment experiences include Board Liaison for Columbus City Schools, Legislative Aide for former Columbus City Councilmember Charleta Tavares and Housing Policy Director for the Coalition on Homelessness and Housing in Ohio. Dawn served on the board of the Central Ohio Transit Authority (COTA) Board for 10 years; three years as chair. She is a founding member of the board of ROX – Ruling Our Experiences – a leadership development and empowerment program for middle and high school aged girls and past board member of Philanthropy Ohio, Homeport (formerly Columbus Housing Partnership), the Buckeye Ranch, New Directions Career Center and Columbus School for Girls. She is currently a trustee for the Community Shelter Board.

Dawn has a passion for the leadership development of young women and was responsible for the design and implementation of YWCA’s Generation Y Leadership Project, a professional and personal development program for women in their 20s. Now called Leadership for Social Change, the program is approaching its 10th year. She also helped shape and facilitate the inaugural class of the JPMorgan Chase Leadership Academy in partnership with The Ohio State University. Through these efforts and several others, Dawn has recruited, coached and mentored over 65 young women and maintains ongoing relationships with many of them.

A proven and committed leader in public service, higher education and the nonprofit sector, Dawn has received numerous honors and awards. She is a graduate of United Way’s Project Diversity, the African-American Leadership Academy (AALA) and was recently appointed to the AALA Advisory Board. She has been featured in multiple editions of the publication, Who’s Who in Black Columbus and is a past recipient of the Business First 40 Under 40 Award. In 2007, Columbus Monthly magazine featured her as one of Columbus’ “bridge-builders.” In 2008, she was named one of 11 People to Watch by Columbus Alive! Newspaper and in 2010, Dawn was named one of 12 “Women You Should Know” by Women and Economic Leadership Development (WELD) and featured in their annual calendar. In 2011, she received the Leadership Award by The Ray Miller Institute for Change and Leadership and in 2013, she received the distinction of being named a YWCA Woman of Achievement. In 2014, she was nominated for the Hampton University 20-year Distinguished Alumni Award. Dawn is a member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority Incorporated and The Columbus Chapter of the Links Incorporated.

Tyler Lee has always been interested in policy, government, current events and community service. She has a heart for the disenfranchised. Her political career started when she was elected 7th grade class president and served in that same role her junior and senior years of high school and her junior year at Hampton University where she majored in, you guessed it, political science. She also holds a master’s in urban affairs and public policy from the University of Delaware with a specialization in housing and community development.

Dawn lives on the eastside of Columbus with her entrepreneur husband, Robert E. Lee III.