As a Franklin Fellow, Dee works with the Office of the Director of U.S. Foreign Assistance (F), which provides leadership, strategic planning and coordination for United States Government Foreign Assistance. Dee supports initiatives and issues in U.S. foreign assistance. She is also completing a review for F's Office of Global-Functional Issues to improve the Standardized Program Structure and Definitions, a tool used by the Department and USAID to account for foreign assistance resources. This tool, an F innovation, provides common terms and definitions as an improved platform for program and budget efficiency and analysis that also increases transparency.

Before joining the Franklin program, Dee pursued a career as a social worker, psychotherapist and program manager with experience in the public, private and non-profit sectors. She managed adoption, foster care and federal funding programs, served as a statewide program auditor, developed and managed quality assurance and mediation programs, provided legislative analysis, trained staff and community partners for state government. Dee works collaboratively with communities identifying service needs, building partnerships and developing community-based programs including hot meal programs for homeless persons; free and low cost community and school-based counseling programs for children and families; and inner city medical camps for persons of low income. As a therapist, Dee works with children, adults, families, couples and groups with specialized interest and training in best practice methods for treating Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder and Trauma.

Dee volunteers with the American Red Cross as a disaster responder, disaster mental health responder, repatriation mental health volunteer and emergency shelter co-manager. Dee worked with the American Red Cross on the Hurricane Katrina Relief Effort, serving as a Manager of Mental Health Services; leading teams of disaster volunteers through a hurricane; planning emergency evacuations for disaster shelters; developing and leading multi-disciplinary search and rescue teams; writing disaster operations plans; supervising disaster mental health programs and volunteers, and working collaboratively with communities and organizations to develop, manage and rebuild post-disaster emergency mental health services and infrastructure for the Gulf Coast of Mississippi.