Ashlee K. Thomas serves as the Director of the Miami-Dade County Department of Cultural Affairs following a distinguished tenure as Interim Director in 2025 and Deputy Director in 2023. Appointed after a national search with broad community support, she brings more than 25 years of experience in arts, nonprofit leadership, and public administration.
A Miami native with deep ties to the local community, Ashlee is recognized for her strong understanding of the County’s cultural infrastructure, steady and energetic leadership, and strong commitment to the local arts ecosystem. She has led the development of cultural engagement initiatives, fostered dynamic community participation and expanded access to the arts across Miami-Dade County. Ashlee has been instrumental in connecting cultural nonprofit organizations and individual artists with vital resources, guiding investments in innovative programing and funding strategies that elevate and amplify the work of local talented artists on the local and global stage.
For more than two decades, Ashlee has had a career on and off the stage. She toured with Los Angeles based dance company, CONTRA-TIEMPO. She founded and produced the international Melbourne Webfest, the first of its kind in Australia. She also served as co-founder and President of Miami Urban Contemporary Experience (MUCE), an arts production company she led for eight years, where she oversaw programming, fundraising, and operations, while managing teams and delivering large-scale cultural events.
Ashlee’s career in arts administration and education spans roles as the Marketing Manager at the Marshall L. Davis Sr. African Heritage Cultural Arts Center, the Manager of Education and Community Outreach at the Adrienne Arsht Center, and as the Drama magnet teacher at Charles Drew K8 Center. Her creative works have been showcased at venues such as Disney Concert Hall and Highway Theater, and her musical, The Busy Bees’ Great Adventure, was commissioned by the Adrienne Arsht Center, premiering to 30k Miami-Dade County Public School 3-5th grade students.
Ashlee Thomas holds a Master of Public Administration from Florida International University and a Master of Fine Arts from New York University. She holds a Bachelor of Science in Business Marketing from Florida State University. She is a proud product of the Miami-Dade County Public School system and an alumna of the Marshall L. Davis, Sr. African Heritage Cultural Arts Center, where her early artistic foundation was shaped.