Prior to joining the Chef Ann Foundation, Dr. Lyerly worked as a program evaluator with the National LGBT Cancer Network and Rhode Island Public Health Institute. His approach to evaluation prioritizes three core values: participatory approach, utilization-focused, and equity frameworks. Dr. Lyerly recently completed his doctoral training in Agriculture, Food and Environment at the Friedman School of Nutrition Science & Policy at Tufts University (Boston, MA). Building upon his professional background in community-based program evaluation, Dr. Lyerly has extensive training in mixed methods research and econometrics. For his dissertation, Dr. Lyerly examined the overall contribution of USDA Foods to school food procurement among large, urban school districts in the US, highlighting opportunities to incorporate commodities into scratch cooking practices in schools. Outside of work, Reece is a proud plant parent, avid sourdough baker, and reality TV enthusiast. 

Reece resides in Rhode Island with his husband, although most weekends they can be found exploring New England and beyond.