Deputy Director, PennEnvironment
Started on staff: 2018
B.A., Chatham College; Masters of Public Management, Carnegie Mellon University
As the deputy director with PennEnvironment, Ashleigh oversees campaigns to protect clean air and clean water in Pennsylvania. She brings more than 15 years of experience in community organizing and government to her work to win policy change and hold decision-makers, agencies and polluters accountable. Most recently, she worked with colleagues and coalition partners to enact a ban on single-use plastic bags in Pittsburgh.
Prior to joining PennEnvironment in 2018, Ashleigh served as a chief of staff in Pittsburgh City Council and organized clean air campaigns for Clean Water Action and the Clean Air Task Force. Ashleigh lives in the Pittsburgh region, where she enjoys gardening and engaging with her community.
PITTSBURGH -- PennEnvironment and 100 businesses, organizations and community leaders from every city council district in Pittsburgh have signed a letter released Wednesday urging local leaders to ban single-use plastic bags.
PITTSBURGH – U.S. Steel violated the Clean Air Act more than 12,000 times at its three Pittsburgh-area plants, including Clairton Coke Works, the largest coke oven facility in North America, according to a motion filed in federal court Thursday by PennEnvironment and Clean Air Council. The violations, which the groups say are proven by U.S. Steel’s own statements and compliance reports, occurred when the company operated Mon Valley Works for more than three months in 2018 and 2019 while required pollution control equipment was out of commission.
Erie, PA – With Pennsylvanians returning to local beaches this summer, a new report warns that more work is needed to ensure that all waters are safe for swimming. In 2020, two Erie County beaches were potentially unsafe for swimming on at least 25% of the days they were tested, according to PennEnvironment Research & Policy Center’s annual analysis of bacteria testing, Safe for Swimming?. The report comes as Congress considers investments in water infrastructure.
PHILADELPHIA – A new poll released Wednesday revealed support for President Joe Biden’s infrastructure proposal across the political spectrum in Pennsylvania’s 7th and 8th Congressional Districts. The districts, represented by Reps. Susan Wild and Matt Cartwright, respectively, encompass parts of Wayne, Pike, Lackawanna, Lehigh, and Northampton counties. Rep. Wild’s district includes Allentown, Bethlehem, and suburban and rural areas. Rep. Cartwright’s district includes Hazelton, Scranton, Wilkes-Barre, and other nearby jurisdictions. This survey, providing district-specific data on how voters view the American Jobs Plan (AJP), is sponsored by PennEnvironment, Earthjustice and Environment America.
PHILADELPHIA -- As Pennsylvania voters eagerly await their vote-by-mail ballots, PennEnvironment announced its endorsements of state and federal level environmental champions for Election Day 2020. This list spotlights the candidates with the best environmental records and plans who are running for the state House, state Senate, Attorney General of Pennsylvania, and Congress.
