CASA Board member Ashley French was recently honored by selected as an Springfield Business Journal (link) “40 Under 40.”

Ashley, District Director of Operations, Ozarks Regional YMCA, has been with the Y for 12 years.  She has risen from child care personnel coordinator for the two Springfield branches to her current job, which entails operations management for three of the Ozarks Regional YMCA’s seven branches.

French’s commitment to the Y has brought rapidly increasing responsibilities. Taking the 100-year-old Downtown YMCA facility from a $200,000-per-year, money-losing operation in 2004 to its current position near break-even is French’s proudest achievement.

“That makes for a great feeling of accomplishment, knowing that in my tenure at the Downtown YMCA facility, we (moved from) huge losses and little growth to becoming a place where families, college students and teens are welcome and thriving, and (which is) fiscally sound,” she said. “When cutbacks are made and hard choices must be decided, a sustaining facility that meets the needs of our community and our mission is the ultimate reward.”

Ashley is active in the Junior League of Springfield, serving on the membership task force, project review and development committees. She also sits on the board of directors of Court Appointed Special Advocates.

“My husband and I have given a lot of time to CASA the past year because of our shared passion for the organization,” she says.

Ashley’s involvement with CASA includes her role on the Board of Directors (link), sitting on the Program committee, serving as Co chairperson of the Mi CASA es Su CASA Committee. Also, Ashley and her husband, Jeremy, actively participate with our Run for A Child event, etc.

Congratulations, Ashley. Everyone at CASA is proud to have you as one of our own.