Ashley was born and raised in Texas and moved to Los Angeles in 2004. She spent nearly 15 years working for the City of Los Angeles, most recently as the Executive Officer to the Chief of Staff for Mayor Eric Garcetti where she oversaw the development of the $145 million Housing and Community Development Consolidated Plan Budget, the Mayor’s General Manager Review process, and advised the Chief of Staff and Mayor on employee relations matters. Prior to her job with the Chief of Staff, Ashley was Director of Neighborhood Services and helped oversee the City’s emergency response to COVID-19, focusing on programs to support older adults and low income families. Ashley has a background in design-thinking and lean methodology and is interested in how to use both to solve some of the world’s most challenging problems. A ten-year veteran Burner, Ashley received a coveted 2020 Burning Man Project Art Honorarium for her large-scale installation PeepShow: Land of Lost Encounters. Outside of school, Ashley can be found hiking, scuba diving, or working on her art.