Representing the Health Care Authority (Alternate Rep.)
While in high school, Ashley became an Emergency Medical Technician at sixteen. Impacted by the attacks on 9/11 and inspired by the first responders that day, she discovered her passion to serve others. Ashley is a graduate of Rutgers University, with a B.A. in Psychology and a minor in Organizational Leadership. At Rutgers, Ashley became a Ronald E. McNair Post Baccalaureate Achievement Program Scholar and completed original research on creativity and coping mechanisms in college students and presented her research at the McNair Conference at the University of Maryland, Baltimore County.
Ashley went on to pursue graduate degrees at Georgian Court University and Fielding Graduate University earning a M.A. in Community Counseling and Certificate in Clinical Psychology. While working at a Research Assistant in the Forensic Neuropsychology Research lab, she served as a project leader and presented original research at both the Association for Psychological Science and the Association for Behavioral and Cognitive Therapies National Conferences.
Ashley has been in the mental health field for over a decade and worked as a frontline mental health worker and psychiatric emergency screener in a local emergency room where she conducted mental health assessments and linked those in need with services. Deciding to broaden her career in healthcare, Ashley completed an additional graduate degree in Public Health with certifications in Health Education and Promotion and Health Management and Policy. Ashley desired to get involved with Health Equity, Policy, and Social Determinants of Health
Ashley is a passionate believer in policies that truly benefit everyone and is a strong advocate for education, healthcare, disadvantaged communities, and social justice. Ashley served in leadership in various capacities. She is the former County Commissioner of District 3 of Atlantic County, New Jersey, where she became the first female, African American and Democrat to hold her seat in Atlantic County’s history. Ashley appeared on national and international media outlets including CNN and The View. She was a featured speaker at the 2018 televised Women’s March in New York City with a host of other musicians, celebrities, and activists. In January of 2018, Ashley along with women running for office around the country graced the cover of TIME magazine in what called “The Avengers” cover. Ashley received a Congressional Citation for her historic civil rights event honoring Civil Rights Icon, Fannie Lou Hamer in the building where 50 years prior she gave her historic speech to the Democratic National Convention and coined the phrase “I’m sick and tired of being sick and tired.”
Deeply committed to board service, while in office, Ashley served as the Liaison to the Atlantic County Youth Services Commission and Library Advisory Commission. She was the New Jersey County Government representative to National Association of Counties Human Services and Education Steering Committee for 2019 and 2020, bringing the concerns of New Jerseyans to a national stage. Ashley was also a 2018 New Leaders Council Fellow, and a NAACP Next Gen Fellow in 2019. She served as the inaugural advisory board chair for the South Jersey Young Dems Black Caucus. Recognized for her leadership and service, The Root.com, named her to their one hundred influential African Americans of 2018 lists with various leaders and influential artists such as Stacy Abrams and music artist, Beyonce. She is a 2019 Shirley Chisholm Breakthrough Leadership Award recipient which she received along with Congressional Majority Whip Congressman Jim Clyburn; presented at the 2019 Summit for Civil Rights that she co-led with civil rights scholar Ted Shaw.
Ashley served as secretary on the executive board for the Southern New Jersey Freeholder Association, the first all women bipartisan board. She is a founding member of the historic NJ Nineteen, the first Black County Commissioner caucus where until 2018 she was the only Black woman county commissioner in all the southern New Jersey region. Her political story is profiled in the books, “Why I Run”, “Women and Politics: Paths to Power and Political Influence 4th ed" political textbook & Rebecca Traister’s book “Good & Mad.” Ashley ended her political term in 2020 after a brief Congressional run and helping to navigate her county through the pandemic as elected official and frontline health care worker. She is currently the Health Equity Program Manager of the Washington State Health Care Authority with goals to focus on operations, strategic planning, and process improvement, in the hopes of addressing equity, inclusion, outreach and engagement in health care programs, policies and services for Washingtonians.