Ashley leads MHRC’s research and policy work after working as a public health practitioner and community organizer for 15 years. She has supported or led community organizing initiatives in Tennessee on intersecting social issues, including public transit, workers’ rights, tenant rights and affordable housing, and organizing rural white communities into coalitions for racial justice. Before relocating to Tennessee, Ashley worked as a Community Liaison and Instructor at the UAMS College of Public Health in Little Rock, Arkansas, where she supported participatory action research projects and taught courses on health disparities, social determinants of health, and public policy. She holds masters degrees in Public Health from the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences and Public Service from the Clinton School of Public Service.