About Dr. Joyee Washington
Here is how it all started.
As a graduate student in biomedical sciences, Dr. Joyee Washington thought her path was clear to become a physiologist, stay in research, and build a career in science.
But one question changed everything:
What if research didn’t happen TO communities, but WITH them?
What if the people most impacted by health inequities had power in the process, not just a seat at the table?
That question led her to public health and to a career redefining what it means to do research, evaluation, and organizational development in partnership with communities, not for them.
Over the next two decades, Dr. Joyee built a practice at the intersection of community engagement, equity-centered evaluation, and organizational infrastructure—earning her MPH, becoming a Master Certified Health Education Specialist, and completing her PhD in Research, Evaluation, Statistics and Assessment.
She worked across systems leading community-based research projects, designing participatory evaluation frameworks, building partnerships with grassroots organizations, and supporting leaders navigating the tension between doing good work and doing it the right way.
And through all of it, she saw the same gap:
Organizations had strategies, but they weren’t built WITH the communities they served.
Leaders had good intentions, but lacked the infrastructure to ensure authentic engagement.
Research existed, but it didn’t translate into community power or meaningful change.
So she built the bridge.
Today, through Joyee Washington Consulting and Public Health Joy, Dr. Joyee helps organizations build community-powered infrastructure—systems that center equity, honor relationships, and create sustainable impact without replicating extractive practices.
Community-Powered Infrastructure: How We Build Systems That Center People, Not Extract From Them
Dr. Joyee’s work is guided by one core principle:
If the people most impacted aren’t in the room when systems are designed, those systems won’t work for them.
This shapes everything she does, from how she facilitates strategic planning to how she builds evaluation frameworks to how she designs operational systems.
Traditional organizational infrastructure often replicates extractive practices, using communities for data without building power, creating transactional partnerships without trust, prioritizing funder narratives over community needs. We design systems differently.
Our Approach:
Participatory, Not Extractive
We design research, evaluation, and engagement processes WITH communities, not ON them. People most impacted are co-creators, not subjects.
Reciprocal, Not Transactional
We build partnership infrastructure that creates mutual benefit, trust, and shared power—not one-off engagements that serve organizational needs alone.
Equity-Centered, Not Performative
We audit systems for extractive practices, center marginalized voices in decision-making, and ensure infrastructure doesn’t replicate harm even with good intentions.
What Community Engagement Infrastructure Looks Like:
Listening and learning systems (focus groups, community conversations, interest-holder feedback loops)
Partnership protocols that ensure reciprocity and respect
Participatory evaluation frameworks where communities define success
Decision-making structures that amplify community voice
Documentation that honors community narratives, not just funder metrics
OUR TEAM OF EXPERTS
Dr. Joyee Washington, MPH, MCHES
CEO/ Principal Consultant
Dr. Joyee Washington is the CEO and Principal Consultant of Joyee Washington Consulting, LLC. With nearly 20 years of experience in public health research, community engagement, and program evaluation, she supports organizations in leadership transformation and effectively implementing community engagement strategies for research and practice.
Tiffany Hill, MPH
Project Manager
Tiffany Hill is an experienced project manager and founder of Foster Hawkins Global, Inc. Leveraging her deep expertise in project coordination, community-based research administration, and program evaluation, she supports our clients by overseeing day-to-day coordination and logistics across all phases of engagement.
Brittney Clayborn, MPH
Research & Evaluation Specialist
Brittney Clayborn is a research and evaluation specialist with expertise in epidemiology, biostatistics, and health education. Her work includes developing research proposals, conducting literature reviews, and presenting findings to diverse audiences — with a consistent focus on health disparities and community-centered impact.
Chelsea Y. Cole, MPH
Systems & Operations Strategist
Chelsea Cole is a systems and operations strategist and founder of The Virtual Collab. She helps small businesses, organizations, and nonprofits turn ideas into fully executed, sustainable operations through strategic planning, process improvement, systems implementation, project leadership, and executive assistance.
Reesi Wilson
Marketing & Communications Strategist
Reesi Wilson is a marketing and communications strategist and founder of Letters by Reesi. She supports organizations in strengthening their messaging, lead generation, and strategic communications to drive sustainable growth and meaningful impact.
More than surveys and data. Building trust and relationships through leadership.
Ready to make an impact? Let’s chat!