Operation Underground Railroad appoints new CEO, plans to expand

SALT LAKE CITY (ABC4) — Operation Underground Railroad — a nonprofit that has been under recent scrutiny due to its former CEO Tim Ballard — has announced the appointment of a new CEO and the organization’s plans to expand.

Tammy Lee, who served earlier in her career on the White House Interagency Task Force to Combat Trafficking in Persons, told ABC4.com that she heard about the opening for CEO through LinkedIn.

Lee said she reached out to the recruiter at the very beginning of 2024 and will begin her role as the nonprofit’s new chief executive officer on Feb. 26, according to the nonprofit.

“It’s been a very fast process, but through the process, I had to get the opportunity to know the people in Salt Lake City and the organization, and I couldn’t be more thrilled to be joining,” Lee told ABC4.com.

Lee told ABC4.com that preventing exploitation and trafficking is a passion for her, and she referred to the opportunity to work as CEO of O.U.R. as a calling.

“Ms. Lee has extensive experience in building influential coalitions for policy change and spearheading multi-million-dollar fundraising and grantmaking campaigns for philanthropic and corporate ventures, including for trafficking prevention,” a press release stated.

In the same announcement, O.U.R said it plans to expand its operations by opening centers in Washington, D.C., Minneapolis and Miami in addition to its current location in Salt Lake City.

“I am honored to join the team at O.U.R. who have made it their life’s work to rescue and care for victims of human trafficking and provide a pathway to a bright new future,” Lee said. “I’m confident O.U.R. best days are still ahead.”

Lee said her role as CEO will be to grow the organization and rebuild trust in the organization.

READ NEXT: Everything to know about the Tim Ballard controversies

Lee is stepping into the role that was formerly occupied by founder Tim Ballard, who left the organization following sexual misconduct allegations.

Several women have filed lawsuits since, claiming they were subjected to sexual harassment, spiritual manipulation and grooming by Ballard while working for the nonprofit. Ballard has denied all allegations.

O.U.R has since apologized and clarified Ballard’s involvement in the organization saying it was “deeply sorry for any harm or distress that Tim Ballard’s actions may have caused to anyone associated with O.U.R.”

The nonprofit continued to say Ballard participated in less than 1% of operations between 2020 and 2023, despite his being the public face of the nonprofit.

“The allegation that O.U.R. is the alter ego of Tim Ballard is false.  Since its inception, O.U.R. has carefully upheld its obligations as an independent 501(c)(3) with appropriate governance and accountability structures, which are now under review by present management,” O.U.R. officials previously said.

The organization has also addressed “Sound of Freedom,” the independent film that greatly raised Ballard’s profile over the summer. O.U.R. officials said in a countersuit that it was “loosely based on the perceived life events of Tim Ballard” and created a misperception that O.U.R’s primary activity revolved around paramilitary raids in overseas countries.

“Installing O.U.R.’s new CEO is a significant milestone on our path of transformation,” Chairman Sean Vassilaros said. “Tammy’s passion for the mission and subject matter expertise . . . make her the ideal leader to steer O.U.R. into the future and rebuild the trust of the anti-trafficking community.”

Lee told ABC4.com that she has no association with Ballard or the past operations of O.U.R., because the former board was resigned, and she was hired as the CEO by the new board.

“Despite the challenges that they’ve had, there is a very committed employee group there that did not let some of the dark days and bad news overshadow the work that they’re doing to rescue survivors and help them find a new path forward,” Lee said.

Lee said Salt Lake City will remain the epicenter of operations for O.U.R.

“It’s a bright new future, and things are changing,” Lee said.

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