Meet ashley soltysiak
Meet Ashley soltysiak
Program Manager
Great Lakes Business Network
Jim Bridger, that’s Ashley’s pup’s name, a tribute to the legendary adventurer of the early 1800s American West, and namesake of iconic wild areas there. Ashley channels that same intrepid spirit in her own work as program manager for the Great Lakes Business Network. The network was formed to give environmentally minded business leaders a bigger voice in state policy, and Ashley’s role is to expand both the membership and influence of this visionary and long-needed organization.
“Our three core issue areas are decommissioning Line 5 oil pipeline, promoting clean energy, and mitigating harmful algal blooms in the Great Lakes,” Ashley says. She especially likes how dynamic the role can be—organizing press conferences, writing issue statements and white papers, connecting with key legislators, and more.
The enthusiasm Ashley brings to her work is a natural extension of her personal pursuits, which pull her outdoors at every opportunity: snowboarding and skiing, kayaking, biking, rock climbing … “Each of those pursuits depends directly upon Michigan's freshwater and a liveable climate,” she says. “Without reducing our dependence on fossil fuels and retiring a precarious pipeline currently threatening the future of our Great Lakes, we cannot count on deep snowy winters or pristine coastal hikes and paddles.” Ashley’s work directly helps to ensure a stronger climate movement so that these activities stay viable in Michigan for generations to come.
