Ashlee Thomas is a Miami native with a breadth of experience in the arts and culture sector, both on and off the stage.

After graduating from Florida State University with a degree in Business Marketing, she took her sojourn to California and danced professionally with Los Angeles based company, CONTRA-TIEMPO Activist Dance Theater. Independently, she created full length choreographic works workshopped at Disney Concert Hall and premiered at the prestigious Highway Theater in California.  She has written and produced 3 original plays, 3 youth shows and served as a lead choreographer in Latin-grammy nominated music video, Licenciado Cantinas ft. Enrique Burnbury. She also served as co-founder and festival director of Melbourne Webfest, Australia's first web-series festival.  In 2014, she returned to Miami and developed her career in arts administration and education. She served as the marketing manager at the African Heritage Cultural Arts Center (2014), the manager of education and community outreach at the Adrienne Arsht Center (2016) and as the Drama magnet teacher at Charles Drew K8 Center ('19-'20).  Her musical, The Busy Bees’ Great Adventure was recently commissioned by the Adrienne Arsht Center, premiering to 30k Miami-Dade County Public School 3rd-5th graders. She is an award-winning grant writer and co-founder of MUCE, an arts production company that brings brands and ideas to life with art. Ashlee holds a Masters in Public Administration (FIU), a Masters in Fine Arts (NYU), and is a proud graduate of Miami-Dade County Public Schools and the African Heritage Cultural Arts Center.

She is excited to bring her more than 20 years of experience and passion for the arts to the Miami Dade County Department Of Cultural Affairs.