Ashley Crowell’s path to nonprofit leadership wasn’t part of a grand plan—it began with a simple desire to put down local roots. After two years of remote work following her 2020 move to Bucks County, Ashley was eager to connect professionally with her new community. What she found was BC Cares Educational Foundation, an organization in transition that would challenge everything she thought she knew about leadership. Today, Ashley serves as Executive Director of BC Cares and recently took on a second executive role with Easton Area School District’s educational foundation. While raising two children, Ashley has become a tireless advocate for equity in education, navigating the complex cultural landscape of Bucks County with clarity and purpose.

Ashley Crowell is a 2025 Bucks County Parent Women+ of Influence Award Winner

Bucks County Parent’s Women of Influence Network and Awards celebrate exceptional women making significant impacts in our community. Ashley was nominated by Board Member, Jeneal Hobbs, and selected based on her achievements and dedication to creating positive change in her community. Each Women of Influence Award Winner has committed to support Family Focus Media’s core values. Together, we are committed to foster a sense of belonging and empowerment for all for all families. All backgrounds, races, genders, and sexual orientations are welcome and safe with us.

Beyond the awards, our Women of Influence Luncheons and Speed Networking Night attendees come together as our Women of Influence Network, a community fostering connections, collaboration, and mutual support.

Stepping Into the Storm

When Ashley accepted her role with BC Cares in late 2022, she had no idea she was stepping into what she now calls “navigating a storm that I didn’t see coming.” Formerly known as CB Cares, The organization was caught in the cultural volatility surrounding Central Bucks School District. What had once been a strength – a close partnership with the district –  had become a challenge.

“My board president at the time liked to say, ‘We’re building the plane as we’re flying it,'” Ashley recalls. The challenge wasn’t just organizational—it was existential. The foundation needed to preserve its mission of supporting education while asserting its independence and financial self-sufficiency.

Her nominator, Jeneal Hobbs, recognized Ashley’s exceptional ability to navigate these challenges: “Ashley Crowell is a shining example of what it means to lead with passion, purpose, and heart. Her dedication to uplifting others, especially the youth, and her forward-thinking leadership, make her a natural candidate for being recognized as a Woman+ of Influence.”

Trial by Fire

The learning curve was steep and unforgiving. Ashley, who describes herself as “not a right-brained person” and “a creative,” suddenly found herself responsible for finance due diligence, documentation, record keeping, and a rebranding/renaming process. The organization faced challenges including asset seizure attempts from extremists which triggered an IRS audit—all while Ashley was working to convert the programs and initiatives of CB Cares into their expanded work as BC Cares.

“It was definitely trial by fire,” she explains. “I’ve had to defend our honor to the IRS, put a new payroll system in place, and ensure we are self-sufficient as a freestanding nonprofit. The event stuff, the people stuff—that’s always been pretty easy for me. But all the facets you don’t see when it comes to running a business, that was the most difficult part.”

Despite the challenges, Ashley’s approach has been to “stay nimble” and maintain clarity about their desire to serve while keeping “a safe distance from any sort of super deep involvement with any specific entity.” This strategy has allowed BC Cares to maintain its independence while continuing to support educational initiatives across multiple school districts.

Rising from the Ashes, Daily

For Ashley, “rising from the ashes” isn’t just about leading major organizational change—it’s a daily practice of resilience. A recent moment perfectly captures this philosophy: while transporting her high school interns home from a Pumpkinfest planning meeting, her car broke down, leaving her stranded with the teenagers she was mentoring.

“When it rains it pours,” she laughs. “It was so upsetting and embarrassing, but at the same time, because they were with me, it made it easier for me to get a ride home.” The story took an unexpected turn when her mechanic offered her a loaner car—something she “thought was just in the movies.”

“The Universe takes care of us, and sometimes it doesn’t go the way you want it to,” Ashley reflects. “But however it’s unfolding,  whatever version of it that’s happening to you, you’re supposed to be there. It’s really just the Universe checking—are you sure you’re ready for this?”

Hearts of Gold and Dirty Hands

Ashley’s approach to leadership centers on what she calls “getting your own hands dirty.” This past spring, that literally meant assembling garden beds with power tools at a local school, teaching students about planting flowers and not being afraid of bees. For her interns working on Pumpkinfest, it means explaining that leadership includes “shoveling pumpkin guts and taking out trash.”

“You’ve got to be willing to do everyone’s job, anyone’s job, and you’ve got to be able to do it just as well as anybody else if you really want to be a leader,” she emphasizes.

This hands-on approach extends to how BC Cares serves its community. The organization has evolved to become more equity-focused, specifically seeking out students and programs that lack resources. A strong example is their partnership with Bristol Borough School District, where BC Cares sponsors their Drama Club, provides funding for a professional musical director and live pit orchestra, and supports their thespian troupe membership.

“We’re looking for who needs the help resource-wise,” Ashley explains. “We still love giving support  to our hometown allies, but we’re really happy to get to say yes to equitable asks that promote a level playing field throughout the County.”

Personal Leadership Philosophy

Ashley’s scholarship recipients reflect the full spectrum of student experience—from high achievers involved in every club to teenagers financially supporting their families while pursuing their educational goals. As someone who started working at 14, Ashley particularly connects with students facing adversity.

“Some of them are paying the bills for their household. They’re performing as an adult in ways they shouldn’t have to,” she notes. “Those are stories I really relate to. I definitely pull for them and care about them a lot.”

Her approach to mistakes and learning reflects this understanding: “I own my mistakes with a smile and a sense of humor. Everything we do is a learning experience, and our humanity is delightfully full of them.” She’s learned to navigate cultural differences in her community, acknowledging early missteps that taught her about “cross-sectionality and the amount of differences that exist culturally.”

Motherhood and Identity

Ashley’s identity as a parent profoundly shapes her leadership style, particularly as someone who identifies as gender queer. “I realized as a new mother that the way I think and the way I relate to my children is very different from a typical cis female,” she shares. This self-discovery has enriched her ability to connect with young people across the spectrum of identity and experience.

Balancing multiple jobs while single parenting means her children often accompany her to events, passing out programs and observing her work. Last spring, she created a special “Unsung Hero Award” for her children, recognizing their support of her mission.

“Every time I interact with any young person in any capacity, I hear my kids’ voices,” she explains. “When you have your heart there on your ‘sleeve’ living inside of the bodies of your children, you see them in everything.”

Looking Ahead

Ashley’s five-year vision for BC Cares is both ambitious and selfless: she hopes to grow professionally to a point where she can eliminate her own salary, directing more funds to student scholarships and a leadership development platform for the next generation of emerging nonprofit executives.

Her advice to other women taking on challenging leadership roles is grounded in both practical wisdom and deeper understanding: “It’s never personal, it’s just business. Every woman’s heart is in the best place possible just like yours—we are all managing what we’re going through the best way we know how.”

Ashley’s story demonstrates that the most profound leadership often comes not from perfect planning, but from the willingness to build the plane while flying it – to rise from the ashes daily and get your hands dirty in service of others. Through BC Cares, she continues to prove that with resilience, authenticity, and a steadfast commitment to equity, it’s possible to turn crisis into opportunity and create lasting, positive change in education.

Connect with Ashley Crowell on LinkedIn.

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