Now Deputy Director of the West Virginia Community Development Hub, Stephanie Tyree served as its Director of Community Engagement and Policy for three years. The statewide non-profit organization’s mission is to engage communities and providers in an intentional, aligned and continuous system of community development. Before joining the Hub, Tyree worked as a community organizer and state policy coordinator in the southern West Virginia coalfields. At an environmental justice non-profit in New York City, Tyree worked closely with federal, state and local agencies to craft environmental policy, participating in the White House Forum on Environmental Justice as a top national environmental justice leader and graduating from the New York City Environmental Law Leadership Institute.
A native of Charleston, West Virginia, Tyree earned her undergraduate degree at the University of Pittsburgh and a J.D. at New York University School of Law. She has served as a steering committee member for the Stay Together Appalachian Youth Project, which promotes leadership, engagement and investment in the region by leaders ages 14-30.
In this video, Tyree shares the story of a citizen who became empowered to approach a lawmaker about a policy issue.