Edmond Young Professionals created this blog series to get to know and hear from our incredible Edmond leaders. Learn more about the new CEO of the Edmond Public Schools Foundation, Ashleigh Gibson.
Name: Ashleigh Gibson
Title/Professional Organization: CEO/Edmond Public Schools Foundation
What originally brought you to the Edmond area? I moved here in early 2007 to attend UCO’s Graduate Program for Psychology. At the time, UCO was the only program in the state that offered the combined Counseling Psychology and School Psychology Master’s Degree.
Can you talk about how you got plugged into the Edmond Public Schools Foundation? About 9 years ago, I was a few months into a professional “find myself” sabbatical. A friend called me to ask if I would be interested in applying for a nonprofit job as the “Director of a school foundation in Oklahoma City.” At the time, they were fully separating their foundation from the school district and needed someone that knew nonprofits to help them get the foundation structured and running. I accepted the job as the Executive Director of Metro Tech Foundation with the intention of moving onto my next job after 2-3 years. During my 8.5 years in that position I created the framework for operating independent CareerTech Foundations and would provide training to school districts, superintendents, and school boards across the state with the CEO of the OKC Public Schools Foundation, Mary Melon-Tully, and the CEO of the Edmond Public Schools Foundation, Deanna Boston. When the CEO job at the EPS Foundation opened, I gave them everything I had. It was, and continues to be my dream job: leading the public school foundation for the school district gave my family so much in my self-proclaimed hometown.
What has been a pleasant surprise since being the new Executive Director of EPSF? Every single employee I’ve met at Edmond Public Schools matches or exceeds my passion for supporting our students. I always expect employees that interact with students every day to exceed my passion for EPS, but hearing the same amount of passion and energy from the members of custodial staff, the painters, and the Child Nutrition staff really puts it into perspective for me. It’s energizing to see how much everyone at Edmond Public Schools wants to see our students and teachers thriving.
What is one piece of leadership advice that you received as a young professional that made an impact on you? I received so much negative advice as a young professional woman, but shortly after I accepted my first nonprofit leadership position at Goodwill of Central OK, I went to lunch with a woman that would eventually become my professional mentor. When she arrived, her nails were an amazing shade of neon orange, a color I had been told was unprofessional for a woman in a leadership position. When I asked her about it, she said the phrase that has stuck with me during my entire leadership journey: Leadership isn’t about changing yourself to fit into a vision. It’s about seeing the vision and empowering yourself and your team to achieve that vision.
What is your favorite local Edmond spot to grab coffee, lunch, or shop? Even though the brick and mortar store is closed, my forever-favorite place to shop will always be Feed Me Gems. Edmond has so many great food places, but I’m a sucker for wings from Eddie’s and, of course, Bondi Bowls for a sweet treat!
