Alee joined CNI in June of 2026, bringing experience in journalism, marketing, fundraising, partnership-building and education. She worked for four years at the national education nonprofit the News Literacy Project, where she was director of community engagement. At Southern Illinois University Carbondale, she advises the Daily Egyptian, the school’s independent student newspaper, where she also teaches journalism. She previously led the award-winning newsroom at The Southern Illinoisan and worked for SIU’s Paul Simon Public Policy Institute. She has a bachelor’s degree from the Missouri School of Journalism.