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Ashley Valis
Ashley Valis
Listen to this articleAshley Valis
Executive Director, Office of Community Engagement
University of Maryland, Baltimore
Ashley Valis has led a career in public service. Before her role as executive director of community engagement at the University of Maryland, Baltimore, she worked as deputy director of intergovernmental affairs and assistant chief of staff to the office of Gov. Martin O’Malley.
Outside of work, Valis is a regional advisory board member for United Way of Central Maryland and a board member for Emerge Maryland. She holds a bachelor’s degree from the University of Delaware and a master of social work from the University of Maryland.
“Residents in Baltimore know what they need and it’s our job at institutions to use our power and place at the table to change the conditions within our walls,” she said.
Valis says she is most proud of opening UMB’s first community engagement center in 2015. Next month, the university will open a new 20,000 square foot facility to service the west Baltimore community.
“Change in the community is hard,” she says. “I’ve always wanted to be a helper, but now that I am older, I see that it is more about empowerment and creating the conditions for people to thrive, rather than helping and service.”
