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 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 is about listening, adaptability, collaboration, problem-solving, and empowering others to succeed.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 both vision and flexibility to meet chapters where they are.As Southern Region Vice President, I sought to understand our chapters' needs. Through conversations with leaders across the region, I learned many chapters faced leadership, affiliate, funding, and organizational challenges. This experience reinforced my belief that leadership begins with listening.During my tenure, I have supported chapters in navigating leadership challenges, affiliate conflict, and activation and reactivation efforts, including my home chapter. I also helped establish Regional Town Halls that expanded access to national leadership and organized a streamlined chapter activation framework currently being piloted in the Southern Region.My service as National Conference Co-Chair and Southern Region Vice President has provided experience serving on the National Executive Leadership Team and working alongside National Urban League staff. 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 and navigating the unique opportunities and complexities of serving as an auxiliary of the National Urban League alongside the National Council of Urban League Guilds.
If elected, my focus will be centered on three priorities:
Empowering Chapters
Supporting chapter sustainability, developing leaders, fostering growth, and strengthening relationships between Young Professionals chapters and affiliates.
Leading Through Collaboration
Fostering a culture of communication, trust, and shared ownership across the National Executive Leadership Team while ensuring chapters, members, and leaders feel supported, connected, and invested in the future of NULYP.
Advancing Our Impact
Elevating the NULYP story, cultivating strategic partnerships, and expanding opportunities for members to lead, advocate, and create change in their communities.
Our members and communities are facing complex social, economic, and civic challenges that require thoughtful leadership, meaningful engagement, and collective action. We must remain committed to supporting our members while creating opportunities for them to lead and drive change. NULYP has an opportunity not only to develop leaders, but to equip and empower them to advance solutions in their communities and across the movement. I believe in the power of this movement and the leaders who make it possible. Together, we can strengthen our chapters, cultivate collaborative leadership, and position NULYP for its next chapter of growth and impact.
