As the Chief Executive Officer & State Director of Communities In Schools of Nevada, the nation’s leading and most effective dropout prevention and intervention organization, Tami Hance-Lehr brings 30 years of leadership, strategic planning, crisis management, relationship building, and communication skills to the position of CEO. Tami’s passion is driven by the belief that every child has unlimited potential but may not have access to equal opportunities to succeed.

Prior to joining CIS of Nevada, Tami was the leading vice president and shareholder of Destinations by Design, the largest and foremost hospitality event company in Nevada. Her passion for giving back to the community began long before her role at CIS. Previously, she was president of Nevada Women’s Philanthropy, and the Las Vegas Hospitality Association. She was awarded a leadership badge by the Girl Scouts of Southern Nevada in 2016, and currently serves on the board of directors for Nevada Community Foundation.

In July 2020, Tami and Communities In Schools of Nevada, joined forces with the Governor’s Covid-19 Task Force, the Elaine P. Wynn & Family Foundation, and the Public Education Foundation to create “Connecting Kids”, a public-private partnership to ensure that 100% of Nevada students were able to successfully access remote learning. In just four months this coalition tracked down every student utilizing digital learning and ensured each had a connection to a device and a reliable internet source at home. This “Whatever It Takes” mentality is the foundation of the CIS mission, bringing the community into the schools to make sure every student crosses the finish line career and college ready.

To Tami being a leader represents a significant part of how she lives her life. Since moving to Las Vegas as a teenager, she has been passionate about the city and community. A graduate of Ed W. Clark High School, she then attended the University of Nevada, Las Vegas where she aligned herself early on with empowering women, serving as president of the Theta ETA chapter of Sigma Kappa in 1991 and graduated with a Bachelor of Arts degree, with an emphasis in Communication Studies.

Tami shares her life with her husband Ben, a retired Clark County Firefighter, her two bonus daughters, Merissa, and Ilana and her two Labrador Retrievers, Pepper & Ryder.

Tami J. Hance-Lehr

K-12 Education & At-risk Youth

Philanthropic Advisory Council (PAC)

Tami J. Hance-Lehr

As the Chief Executive Officer & State Director of Communities In Schools of Nevada, the nation’s leading and most effective dropout prevention and intervention organization, Tami Hance-Lehr brings 30 years of leadership, strategic planning, crisis management, relationship building, and communication skills to the position of CEO. Tami’s passion is driven by the belief that every child has unlimited potential but may not have access to equal opportunities to succeed.

Prior to joining CIS of Nevada, Tami was the leading vice president and shareholder of Destinations by Design, the largest and foremost hospitality event company in Nevada. Her passion for giving back to the community began long before her role at CIS. Previously, she was president of Nevada Women’s Philanthropy, and the Las Vegas Hospitality Association. She was awarded a leadership badge by the Girl Scouts of Southern Nevada in 2016, and currently serves on the board of directors for Nevada Community Foundation.

In July 2020, Tami and Communities In Schools of Nevada, joined forces with the Governor’s Covid-19 Task Force, the Elaine P. Wynn & Family Foundation, and the Public Education Foundation to create “Connecting Kids”, a public-private partnership to ensure that 100% of Nevada students were able to successfully access remote learning. In just four months this coalition tracked down every student utilizing digital learning and ensured each had a connection to a device and a reliable internet source at home. This “Whatever It Takes” mentality is the foundation of the CIS mission, bringing the community into the schools to make sure every student crosses the finish line career and college ready.

To Tami being a leader represents a significant part of how she lives her life. Since moving to Las Vegas as a teenager, she has been passionate about the city and community. A graduate of Ed W. Clark High School, she then attended the University of Nevada, Las Vegas where she aligned herself early on with empowering women, serving as president of the Theta ETA chapter of Sigma Kappa in 1991 and graduated with a Bachelor of Arts degree, with an emphasis in Communication Studies.

Tami shares her life with her husband Ben, a retired Clark County Firefighter, her two bonus daughters, Merissa, and Ilana and her two Labrador Retrievers, Pepper & Ryder.