Ashley Baker is a Florida native and graduate of the University of Central Florida, where she earned a Bachelor of Science in Public Administration. She currently serves as Director of Community Engagement & Brand Strategy for True Health, a nonprofit community health center providing access to high-quality, comprehensive healthcare for all, regardless of insurance status. Serving more than 50,000 patients annually across ten locations and three counties in Central Florida, True Health is dedicated to creating healthier communities through life-changing care. With more than a decade of experience in nonprofit leadership, Ashley has built a career centered on community engagement, fundraising, marketing, strategic partnerships, and volunteer leadership.
Committed to service, leadership development, and civic engagement, Ashley currently serves as Chair-Elect of the UCF Black Alumni Community, helping engage and support a network of more than 400,000 living UCF alumni. She also serves as an Advisory Board Member for the Black History Project and is a graduate of both Leadership Orlando and New Leaders Council. In addition, she has served as a poll worker supporting civic participation and voter engagement in her community. Through these leadership and service experiences, Ashley remains committed to strengthening communities through collaboration, empowerment, and service.
Ashley is a 13-year member of the National Urban League Young Professionals and currently serves as Southern Region Vice President on the National Executive Leadership Team. Throughout her tenure, she has served in leadership roles at the chapter, regional, and national levels, helping advance member engagement, leadership development, and organizational growth across the movement.
Outside of her professional and volunteer leadership roles, Ashley enjoys traveling, creating new experiences, and spending time with family and friends. Her favorite role, however, is being "Auntie" to her nieces and nephews. She remains committed to creating meaningful opportunities and lasting impact in the communities she serves.
Click here to check out a profile of Ashley by the Nonprofit Leadership Alliance.
For more than a decade, I have had the privilege of serving the National Urban League Young Professionals at the chapter, regional, and national levels. Through those experiences, I have learned that effective leadership begins with listening, grows through collaboration, and succeeds by creating the conditions for others to lead. That belief has shaped my leadership philosophy: Listen. Collaborate. Lead.
I have had the opportunity to serve our movement as a chapter leader, National Conference Co-Chair, and Southern Region Vice President. These roles have given me a unique understanding of our chapters, our national leadership structure, and the relationship between NULYP and the National Urban League. They have also shown me that leadership requires vision, collaboration, and the ability to meet chapters where they are.
As Southern Region Vice President, I sought to understand the needs of our chapters by listening to leaders across the region. Through those conversations, I learned many chapters were navigating leadership transitions, affiliate relationships, funding challenges, member engagement, and organizational growth. Those experiences reinforced my belief that national leadership is most effective when it creates clarity, strengthens strategic partnerships, and removes unnecessary barriers so chapters can spend less time navigating systems and more time empowering communities and changing lives.
During my tenure, I have supported chapters through leadership transitions, affiliate relationships, and activation and reactivation efforts, including my home chapter. I also worked alongside my fellow Regional Vice Presidents to establish Regional Town Halls that expanded access to national leadership and created greater connection between members and the national movement. Additionally, I organized a streamlined chapter activation framework that is currently being piloted in the Southern Region to provide greater clarity and consistency throughout the activation process.
My service as National Conference Co-Chair and Southern Region Vice President has also provided valuable experience working alongside National Urban League staff and serving on the National Executive Leadership Team. Through these roles, I have gained firsthand insight into the operational realities, leadership responsibilities, and collaboration required to move our organization forward. I understand that the role of President extends beyond setting a vision. It requires leading a team of leaders, building productive relationships, and effectively navigating the unique opportunities and responsibilities of serving as an auxiliary of the National Urban League alongside the National Council of Urban League Guilds.
Through every role I have held, one leadership philosophy has remained constant:
Listen. Collaborate. Lead.
I listen to understand the experiences, challenges, and aspirations of our chapters. I collaborate to build relationships, strengthen strategic partnerships, and develop solutions that move our movement forward. I lead by creating greater clarity, expanding opportunities, and empowering others to make an even greater impact in their communities.
That philosophy is reflected in the priorities that will guide my leadership.
The heart of our movement is in our chapters and the communities they serve. My vision is to strengthen our movement through Clear Process, Open Pathways, and Shared Prosperity, creating greater clarity, expanding opportunities, and building stronger strategic partnerships so chapters can spend less time navigating systems and more time empowering communities and changing lives.
Clear Process
Working collaboratively to make chapter-facing expectations, information, and support more consistent, transparent, and easier to navigate so leaders can focus more of their time and energy on serving their communities.
Open Pathways
Creating greater access to mentorship, leadership development, strategic partnerships, certifications, civic leadership, and professional opportunities that help members grow as professionals, community leaders, and changemakers.
Shared Prosperity
Strengthening our movement through strategic partnerships, resource development, and intentional collaboration so opportunities, resources, and success are shared across chapters, empowering local leaders to expand their impact in the communities they serve.
Our members and communities are facing complex social, economic, and civic challenges that require thoughtful leadership, meaningful engagement, and collective action. National leadership should serve as a partner to our chapters by providing the support, relationships, and resources they need to maximize their impact.
I believe NULYP has an opportunity not only to develop leaders, but to equip and empower them to advance solutions in their communities and across the Urban League Movement. I believe in the power of this movement because I believe in the leaders who make it possible.
Together, we can create clearer processes, open more pathways, and build shared prosperity that strengthens our chapters, empowers our members, and expands our impact.
Together, let's clear the way to advance the work of empowering communities and changing lives.
