Ashley Hood-Morley's plastics career started in Kingsport, Tenn., at Eastman Chemical Co., where she worked as an engineer in new product development, manufacturing, quality assurance and product stewardship roles supporting its Specialty Plastics business.
She also served on Eastman's corporate sustainability team as strategic initiatives manager, where she led the advancement of sustainability integration into business strategies and supported the success of the circular economy platform.
Prior to her current role as the Plastics Industry Association's vice president of industry engagement, she gained experience in new business development and management of its portfolio of recycling, sustainability and material initiatives across the organization.
She now leads strategies on membership acquisition and retention and oversees industry relationships and programs for its stakeholders and key strategic partners. She plays a pivotal role in propelling the association forward and is committed to nurturing the next generation of industry leaders.
She is also the chair of the University of Kentucky College of Engineering's Young Alumni Philanthropy Council.
To date, her greatest accomplishment has been earning her bachelor's degree in chemical engineering from the University of Kentucky. She is the first person in her family to achieve a four-year degree.
Looking back at her time as a young engineer, she said one of her best managers gave sound advice: Observe other successful leaders and identify their common characteristics. The individuals were not always the smartest in the room, but they possessed a calm and steady demeanor and remained reliable and composed. "This advice emphasized the importance of maintaining a stable and trustworthy presence."
"Being on the association side gives a unique perspective, and she can see that what we do is incredibly important and will continue to be so as we address significant issues that require working together as an industry. She believes her role will continue to be crucial in tackling the big challenges," Leslie Jutte, the association's director of the industry engagement, said of Hood-Morley.
"She demands excellence but leads by example. … Ashley genuinely believes in her people and in the future of this industry," Jutte added.