Ashley Maestas, two times a graduate of Adams State and a San Luis Valley native, is the new Director of Alumni Relations and Engagement at Adams State University. She will begin her duties on July 1, 2021.
“I am really looking forward to building meaningful relationships with fellow alumni. I want to cultivate an atmosphere of generational pride and continued legacy with the Adams State community,” she said.
She has a diverse range of education and experience in the public workforce system, having been with Colorado Workforce Center in Monte Vista since graduating with her bachelor’s degree from Adams State in 2013. “This has provided me with valuable knowledge and transferrable skills I can bring to the Adams State Alumni Relations & Engagement Office.”
A native of San Luis, Colo., Maestas brings a wealth of experience in organization, management, and planning, as well as a first-hand knowledge of rural Colorado. She earned a master’s degree in public administration and humanities from Adams State in 2020. She is looking forward to working with current faculty and staff and is ready to build on and help finalize Adams100 celebration events.
“We are beyond thrilled to have Ashley join us as our Director of Alumni Relations and Engagement at Adams State,” said President Cheryl D. Lovell. “She will do amazing things in helping our alumni become more engaged and involved with their alma mater, and she will be a great role model and mentor to our current students and help them become productive and successful as they graduate from Adams State.”
In order to attract recent alumni and keep in close contact with those already involved with their alma mater, Maestas plans to use social media platforms and community engagement. “I plan to recruit at all levels to spark and spread the Grizzly spirit. I will remind current alumni of their experiences as students and provide insight on how their involvement will impact the University now and, in the future, while enticing others to get involved after they graduate.”
Maestas started as a career counselor and case manager with The Training Advantage (TTA)/Colorado Workforce Center in 2013 and four years later was promoted to Labor and Employment Specialist through Colorado Department of Labor and Employment/Colorado Workforce Center. She was named the 2020 CDLE Leader of the Year and 2020 CDLE Team of the year. She created and presented many forms of training, including job readiness. She implemented processes and procedures for rural client success, partnered with unemployment, and worked with customers to provide services and trainings. She also established and maintained relationships with local and state government, higher education, economic development, communities and businesses.
It’s not only her professional experience that makes her well prepared for her new position. As an Adams State junior and just one week before her 21st birthday, Maestas learned she was pregnant. As she accepted the new challenges and changes being a new mother brings, she realized she could handle much more than she ever thought possible. “With family support to continue to pursue my goals, I never gave up on my dreams. I completed my undergraduate and graduate degrees while navigating motherhood, my personal life, my full-time job, and serving on various community committees. I hope one day to be an inspiration for my daughter as she pursues her own dreams.”
Her professional affiliations and community volunteer work includes member of the Migrant Coalition of the San Luis Valley, Colorado Trust Programs of the San Luis Valley, Rio Grande County Board of Health, Rio Grande County Prevention Partners, and Working Together Implementation Grant Partnership.
“I want to thank President Lovell, the Public Relations Office, the Alumni and Foundation Boards, the Executive Board and the entire search committee,” Maestas added. “I am looking forward to continuing the success of the Alumni Relations & Engagement Office.
