Ashley Booker CEO of YWCA St. Paul
Ashley Booker has been focused on advancing equitable outcomes, particularly for BIPOC and LGBTQIA+ communities, throughout her career. Born and raised in Saint Paul, Ashley is a lifelong Minnesotan, with deep ties to the community. She is also an experienced educator, collaborative leader, effective fundraiser, and skilled program evaluator. Whether in a classroom, boardroom, or knee-deep in spreadsheets, she is a relentless advocate for those who have been persistently oppressed and underserved. Ashley received her Bachelor of Arts in the Sociology from the University of Minnesota, and her Master of Arts in Education from Augsburg University. Previously, she has worked as a Program Coordinator with College Possible, Program Manager of Student Diversity & Inclusion Services at the University of St. Thomas, and Program Development and Evaluation Manager at the Minnesota Office of Higher Education. In more recent years, Ashley has served as the Director of Get Ready, Minnesota’s statewide federal Gaining Early Awareness and Readiness for Undergraduate Programs (GEAR UP) initiative aimed at increasing high school graduation and college enrollment within communities of color; and as the Executive Vice President of Learning & Impact at Planned Parenthood North Central States, overseeing the organization’s education, training, community engagement, program evaluation, and employee engagement efforts across five states. Ashley currently lives in St. Paul with her family, and in her free time, you can usually find her creating new recipes in the kitchen, displaying her competitive spirit playing video or board games, or dancing vigorously to any music with great drums and a heavy bassline.