Newly-elected Proctor, 35, brings new perspective to school board

Published 7:30 am Wednesday, July 30, 2025

Ashley Proctor still remembers her high school government class. A teacher inspired her and kept her focused on finishing high school, something neither of her parents had done. Proctor was at her fourth school in three years, and wasn’t sure how long she’d make it in education. But the lessons landed and remained with her.

“It always stuck with me that if I were to get involved in my community in some capacity, I would always consider local elected positions,” Proctor said.

During a book club meeting in November 2024, Proctor and her friends got to talking about local government. Proctor thought back to high school and decided to throw her hat into the ring and run for school board.

Proctor, 35, said she based her campaign on what she had experienced since earning her diploma. That includes joining the U.S. military as a teen, caring for younger family members, working as a social worker and advocating for her son, a Redmond School District student who was nonverbal for the first three years of his life. Proctor saw a need to connect teachers and school board members in order to support kids with disabilities, and others with outside-the-norm life stories.

“I had noticed there was a missing bridge of this communication in some instances that I felt I could be at that table …  to help bridge some of the disconnect with some of the special education resources,” Proctor said. 

For six months, Proctor campaigned. At work, she clocked out and made cold calls. In the evenings, she knocked on doors, attended events and school board meetings. In May, Proctor won a close race and upset incumbent Eric Lea. She took her oath and her seat on the school board in June.

Ashley Proctor (left) and her friend Dr. Lindsey Tuntland (right) in Utah (2012). (Courtesy of Ashley Proctor).

Childhood shaped her future

The oldest of three siblings, Proctor and her family moved around a lot. She, her brothers and her mom settled for a bit in Hebron, Ill., a home base near her grandparents.

Neither of Proctor’s parents had graduated high school and did not put much importance on education. For much of her youth, Proctor struggled with her own grades and helping her two younger brothers. But she loved extracurricular activities and kept attending school — and kept her grades high enough — so she could keep playing sports.

When Proctor was a junior in high school, she was on track to be the first in her family to graduate. She started thinking about what she wanted to do after after that.

One day at school, National Guard recruiters showed up. At age 17, Proctor chose to enlist in the Illinois National Guard and completed basic training before her senior year in high school in 2007. She returned to school and collected that well-earned diploma, then left for advanced training in Missouri and began working toward becoming a military police officer.

In 2011, Proctor left the Midwest and moved to Utah, where she was stationed as an active member of the Army National Guard. During that time, her grandmother gained custody of her disabled youngest brother, and they made a plan for Proctor to one day become his guardian. At the age of 22, Proctor’s grandmother died. Her 14-year-old brother moved to Utah to live with her. But it was hard.

She couldn’t figure out how to do her job well and also advocate for her brother. 

“Sometimes I had to work longer than eight hours a day,” said Proctor. “And now, being a guardian to my youngest brother — who’s only eight years younger than I am, who has an invisible disability and required a lot of support. It was really difficult to still be on active duty, and so I chose to get out.” 

After seven years in service, Proctor exited service in the National Guard in 2013 and moved with her brother to Bend.

Ashley Proctor during her University of Oregon graduation in 2017. (Courtesy of Ashley Proctor).

Back to school

Education, which she hadn’t thought much about since her teenage days, came back into the picture. She decided to attend Central Oregon Community College, where she earned an associates degree in 2015. 

But her progress at college belied struggles in her personal life. She was still just 23, and living in Bend with her brother. Both of them were struggling and felt isolated in a new place.

“I didn’t have a lot of support, new area, and I had not been connected yet with the disability support networks here,” Proctor said. 

After a while, it became too difficult for Proctor to support her brother and keep herself afloat.

“I had to make a hard decision of connecting with his case worker back in Illinois to find another family that could support him long term,” Proctor said. “He definitely got the support he needed.”

Still, it devastated her. She felt guilt and shame.

“It was one of the hardest decisions of my life,” she said. “But it was also the inspiration for the work I do now.” 

Ashley Proctor (middle) with her two younger brothers Charlie (right) and Chris (left). (Courtesy of Ashley Proctor).

New position

Proctor transferred to University of Oregon and earned a bachelor’s degree in psychology in 2017. Her experience dealing with her brother propelled her toward a career helping others get through difficult decisions. She started a career as a case worker, and she said that gave her the confidence to try for the school board.

“We should be building bridges and connections and thinking outside the box,” Proctor said. “I’m really excited at the opportunity to maybe be that creative problem-solving-oriented person. Disability support and mental health support are obviously very personal for me.”

She said she also hoped to increase connections with the district and other community institutions that work with children and families.

Proctor’s goal is to listen and communicate effectively. 

“I want to bring back the importance of certain language usage in those nuances and help students and teachers and families feel more connected with one another,” Proctor said. 

Stephanie Hunter met Proctor while working together with students who have disabilities and their parents. Both have kids who have specialized disability plans. The two of them have talked before about starting a parent teacher association specifically for the special education department, to give kids with disabilities more of a voice of what’s going on in the schools.

“She’s going to show up ready,” said Hunter. “But also bring the stories of people who have been impacted by policies and decisions, and these are voices from students and families who we don’t normally hear from.”

Proctor’s own child will be attending Redmond schools throughout her first term. Fellow board member Liz Goodrich was elected in 2019 and both her sons went through the schools. She said it was definitely a learning curve when transiting from a parent to a policy maker, but she said both contribute to being a good school board member.

“The goodness that we want for our children in the public schools is also the goodness that we want for everybody’s kids in the school district,” said Goodrich. “Being a parent and being a policy maker, they walk alongside each other.”

Ashley Proctor and her son sitting on a rock during a hike. (Courtesy of Ashley Proctor).