Meet Brittany Ashby, Board Member and Mentoring/Scholarship Committee Co-Chair at the Mid-America EDC

Meet Brittany Ashby, Board Member and Mentoring/Scholarship Committee Co-Chair at the Mid-America EDC.

Your Organization:

The Align Team with the Wyoming Economic Development Association and the Laramie County Economic Development Joint Powers Board.

Your Title at Organization:

Vice President

MAEDC Board Position:

Board Member and Mentoring/Scholarship Committee Co-Chair

How long have you been a member of Mid-America EDC?

4 or 5 years.

Tell us about yourself! How long have you been on the Mid-America EDC board? 

I have been a member of the Mid-America EDC board for just a couple of years.  I stepped in to fill a position when another member from Wyoming moved to a different organization and out of the local EDO.  I have worked at supporting economic development in Wyoming for about ten years now and have very much enjoyed getting to interact more with Economic Development from around the region.  While Wyoming is its own unique animal, it is nice to be able to learn more about all of the different issues and where we overlap and how people are addressing similar issues in their area.

Tell us about your organization and your role there:

I run an organization that is slightly outside the norm for Economic Development.  The Align Team is a consulting and program management firm in Cheyenne, Wyoming that contracts to run many different projects and programs. This includes associations like the Wyoming Economic Development Association and organizations like the Laramie County Economic Development Joint Powers Board, but it also includes large programmatic grants like the Preschool Development Grant and the Low Income Energy Assistance program through the State of Wyoming.  As one of three executive leaders in the organization, I have my hands into many of our projects and work closely with many different industries and organizations.  I did directly run WEDA for about six years and then was lucky enough to bring on a new Associations Director when we rolled in both the administration and lobbying of the organization.  However, I love economic and community development and will likely never take my hands out of it completely.  

What are your economic development specialties? 

I focus on the governance and strategy level of helping organizations and communities really understand who they are and what they want to become. 

What are your favorite places and things to do in your community? What are some hidden gems people might not know about?

What are some hidden gems people might not know about?  My favorite things to do in Cheyenne include going up into the mountains just outside of town and paddle boarding on some of our small mountain lakes.  It is just nice to get out and take a break.  Additionally, I love community arts and theater and will rarely miss the chance to see the latest production at our local community theater, Cheyenne Little Theater.  It is always amazing to me the worlds that these local volunteers can create right in our own backyard.