Ashley Beason Secretary

I began my career as a teacher and spent 13 years in various classrooms from middle school to Master’s level while also working toward my doctorate. I earned my PhD in Curriculum and Instruction in 2016 and then made a big career change! I had found my love of policy, research, and advocacy and ended up doing performance evaluations for the Kansas legislature and then lobbying. Today I’m a Director of Legislative Affairs for a large state agency and love following the Kansas legislative session and local and national politics.

Fun Facts

I have three young daughters who are wild and free. Between them and our dog Douglas Emhoff Beason, I’m always on my toes! I never tire of watermelon, a good local IPA, or summer.

My dad died of ALS when I was a kid, but I found a journal of his once I was grown where he’d noted what he’d like to do with the time he had left: “Explore, learn, and grow.” I tattooed it on my arm in his handwriting and want to live that out for him.