Ashley Meyer has it all.
From a fabulous house, to a great husband and horses for sunset gallops, Meyer knows she’s blessed. She also knows the value of sharing that good fortune by dedicating her time to a wide range of volunteer activities. From organizing events for CCTW, to toy drives for sick kids at Children’s Hospital Colorado, and serving meals to homeless families on her birthday, Meyer would rather do for others than for herself.
“I don’t need anything. I have all I need,” Meyer said, referring to a stellar upbringing in Colorado and a life filled with animals, open space and purpose. “What is the point of life?
At the end, when I die, if that’s tomorrow or in 40 years, they will not talk about my house and job. People will care about what I did, who I was, and helping those who need it.”
Colorado Companies To Watch has seen Meyer in action. Her first volunteer gig for CCTW came in 2017 when she organized the CCTW alumni golf tournament. From researching golf sites to setting up tables and arranging the proper number of golf carts, Meyer devoted about 150 hours to the task. Oddly enough, the first planned golf tourney in 2017 was cancelled due to an early snowfall in October.
Meyer cancelled the event, refunded all the cash to those involved, then reorganized it all again and arranged for a great golf event in May of 2018. Fifty-two golfers from a range of CCTW companies participated in the event at Perry Park Country Club in Larkspur. Meyer will be on hand for a new round of volunteer work when the second golf event is planned in 2019.
“Why I do this,” she asked. “I have just always liked to help and give back. It’s a value to me. I just always go above and beyond.”
That’s certainly the view of those who work with Meyer at Oakman Aerospace, where she serves as an office manager and executive assistant.
Before that, she worked as an administrative assistant with Sykes, a digital marketing and customer service global outsource company. Meyer noticed the company organized lavish holiday parties for staff. The events were amazing, but Meyer wanted to add some volunteerism to the celebration.
Before long, she organized an annual toy drive that brought carloads of toys to the families of sick kids undergoing treatment at Children’s Hospital Colorado.
Meyer, who earned a teaching degree, also advocates for aerospace education in Colorado. She, along Stanley Kennedy Jr., president and chief systems engineer at Oakman Aerospace, helped with the Colorado Space Business Roundtable, which provides summer internships for middle and high school students.
Meyer also helps produce an e-publication (Colorado Aerospace STEM Magazine) which covers the world of Colorado aerospace. The monthly e-publication goes out to students and teachers and is used to help students focus on aerospace career in Colorado.
Volunteering, doing it all, and promoting aerospace careers just adds icing on a cake Meyer is happy to enjoy.
“I have a fantastic life, “ Meyer said. “I am really blessed and lucky to have had a lot of opportunities. But it’s important to give back to the community.”