YWCA USA Announces New Board Chair and Welcomes Five New Board Members
For Immediate Release
WASHINGTON, DC - YWCA USA is pleased to announce the election of new board leadership and welcomes five new board members. Ashlee Davis, J.D., will serve as YWCA USA Board Chair from July 1, 2025 - June 30, 2026.
Davis began her service on the YWCA USA board in 2022 and was elected Secretary in 2024 before assuming the role of Chair this year. She is the Head of Talent Development, Inclusive Outcomes & Belonging at Ancestry, the world’s leading family history company. Davis served in the Obama Administration in the White House and the U.S. Department of Agriculture and has previous leadership experience in finance and civil rights. Originally from Nashville, Tennessee, she holds degrees from the University of Pittsburgh and Howard University School of Law. Davis and her wife, Caress, recently welcomed their first child.
YWCA USA is the national force behind a powerful network of over 190 Local Associations, advancing justice through advocacy, innovative programming, and direct support that empowers over a million individuals annually.
“Across the country, Local YWCAs are doing the hard, often invisible work of meeting urgent needs—whether that’s providing emergency shelter, counseling, or advocacy,” said Davis.
Davis steps into this pivotal leadership role alongside five new board members, whose diverse expertise and shared commitment to YWCA’s mission will help strengthen the organization’s national impact. Together with the accomplished local and national leaders already serving on the board, they will guide YWCA USA in advancing equity, empowering women, and addressing the most pressing challenges facing communities today.
YWCA USA Board Officers:
Ashlee J. Davis, J.D., Chair (Head of Talent Development and Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion, Ancestry)
Cristina Ayala, Vice-Chair (Principal and Managing Director, CACSM)
Nan E. Joesten, Esq., Treasurer (President and Founder, Rapid Evolution LLC)
Angela Accurso, Secretary (Director of Workforce Programs, MxD)
YWCA USA Board Members:
Anjuli Kelotra (Chief Ethics & Compliance Officer Asst. General Counsel, Labor & Employment, The Coca-Cola Company)
Brea Baker* (Author and Activist)
Cynthia Connolly (Director of Programming, The City Club of Cleveland)
Debbie Esparza (CEO, YWCA Metropolitan Phoenix)
Deon Riley (Former Chief Human Resources Officer, Bath & Body Works)
Gayle Fuguitt (Former VP, Global Analytics & Insights, General Mills)
Imani Edwards (Director of Public Affairs, Taft Stettinus & Hollister LLP)
Joanne Tabellija-Murphy (National Director of Constituent Relations and Corporate Affairs, Walmart)
Kara Perkins (Associate VP, Budget & Administration, California State University at Long Beach)
Lisa Lee* (Co-Owner and Managing Partner, Agnes and Sheman, LLC)
Lori Carmona* (CEO, YWCA Greater Los Angeles)
Mallory Donaldson (Chief Program Officer, The Center for Healthy Families)
Maria Chavez Wilcox (CEO, YWCA Seattle, King, Snohomish County)
Ramya Rauf (CFO/VP, Finance & Administration, Northwest Area Foundation)
Stephanie Larosiliere* (Head of Fixed Income Business Strategy & Development, Invesco)
Tonya Quarles* (Vice President of Sales, Dell Technologies Inc.)
*Denotes a newly elected board member
“We are thrilled to welcome these dynamic leaders to our Board,” said Margaret Mitchell, CEO of YWCA USA. “Their vision and experience will be instrumental pushing our national movement forward and deepening our impact in the communities we serve.”
YWCA USA’s Board of Directors plays a critical role in shaping the strategic direction of the organization, supporting over 190 Local Associations serving over 1 million women, girls, and families.
For more information about YWCA USA’s newest Board members, click here, or reach out to Mike Leone, YWCA USA’s Vice President of Marketing and Communications Strategy, at mleone@ywca.org.
About YWCA USA
YWCA USA is a powerful network of over 190 community-based, grassroots organizations with the collective mission to eliminate racism, empower women, and promote peace, justice, freedom, and dignity for all. Through membership in World YWCA, we are also a proud part of a global women’s rights movement with the goal of engaging 100 million young women and girls to transform power structures to create justice, gender equality, and a world without violence and war by the year 2035.
YWCAs are on the ground in towns, cities, and counties across the United States, providing the services that women need most, from safety for domestic and sexual violence survivors to affordable housing and child care. Using our collective action at the local level, YWCA USA lifts women’s voices to impact social and policy change at the state and national levels. We believe that this unique combination of services, advocacy, and social change will lead to a world where ALL women, girls, and gender-diverse people, especially those of color, are free from racism and sexism, experience justice and equity, and are empowered to thrive. As a nonpartisan, 501(c)(3) organization, YWCA USA is prohibited from endorsing or opposing candidates for elected office.