Ashley H. Saunders is UCOR’s Program and Sustainability Management Manager. In this role, she spearheads the company’s strategic direction in beneficial land reuse, end-state management, environmental regulation management, program integration, equity programs, sustainability performance, and Oak Ridge Reservation national historic preservation.
Under the East Tennessee Technology Park (ETTP) contract, Ashley served as end states and federal land reuse manager, responsible for all aspects of ETTP reindustrialization and closure.
She also oversaw the new Heritage Center Enterprise, including the remedial action work at ETTP, historic preservation efforts, and the transfer of land from the Department of Energy (DOE) Office of Environmental Management for national historic preservation. Under Ashley’s leadership, the former powerhouse area was remediated, with more than 30 acres transformed into a grassy field. The massive slab of the former Centrifuge Complex was also removed, leaving property available for a future planned airport at the site.
In a prior role, Ashley served as UCOR’s Chief of Staff, responsible for coordinating the resources required to deliver the company’s operational vision and support achievement of DOE-related corporate goals and missions.
Ashley joined UCOR in 2015 as government and stakeholder relations manager. Her work included activities and strategies to strengthen existing relationships and foster new alliances with government officials and stakeholders at all levels. In September 2016, she assumed the role of external affairs, communications and community programs manager—directing internal and external communications as well as the company’s community advocacy program.
Prior to joining UCOR, Ashley served as program director for the East Tennessee Economic Council (ETEC). There she worked with other organizations, elected officials, and businesses in Knox, Anderson, Roane, and Blount counties to promote the values and impact of ETEC membership.
Ashley has a Bachelor of Arts degree in communications from the University of Tennessee. She was a recipient of East Tennessee Economic Council’s 2019 Postma Young Professional Medal, which honors the accomplishments of young professionals who have made an impact on the community. Ashley is serving a three-year term as a University of Tennessee Chancellor’s Associate and was named to the Knoxville Business Journal’s 2019 “40 Under 40” list.