After working on other issues, Ashby decided to run for a seat on the city council, where the scope of her efforts to help her community would be far greater. She won, and last year she helped lobby Congress to approve $1 billion in levee repairs, which has jump-started development in her part of town. Ashby has gone from being an upstart who unseated a long-time incumbent to running unopposed for her second term last year. Having had her third child while in office, she’s become a role model for women who want to talk with her about how to balance family and careers. Ashby says her own inspiration came from her dad, who spent a long career working on children’s issues.
“There’s no greater compliment than someone saying that because of something you did, they’re willing to give something a try,” Ashby says.
MORE: Read about the Women in Government Leadership Program and the rest of the 2015 honorees.