VOTE JUD
FOR MAYOR
Our City election is coming up on Tuesday, November 2nd, 2021
Inspired by our community and what a great place Gaithersburg has been to live and to raise my kids, I’ve been active in local public affairs for more than 15 years. It all started with volunteering with the PTA at Brown Station Elementary School and eventually blossomed into a seven-year stint on the City Council, and now as Mayor. Here are some of the highlights from over the years:
Occupation: I’m the owner of a growing web design, development, & hosting firm, Web Mobile Image. My team and I pride ourselves on delivering rock-star-level service to our clients, at a reasonable price.
Birthplace: Miami, Florida
Family: I live with my wonderful wife, Lee. We don’t have kids anymore; we have adults: our son Jeffrey and his wife, Brittney; and our daughter Jenna.
Pets: My cat’s name is Cooper, he’s 8 years old, and he’s my buddy! I also have one grand-dog named Luna, and two grand-cats, Alice and Ellie.
Neighborhood: Orchard Place, a charming little townhouse community on the west side of NIST, adjacent to the Diamond Farms Post Office.
Education:
Master’s Degree (in progress), Accounting & Financial Management, University of Maryland, Global Campus
Bachelor’s Degree, Journalism and Political Science, University of Miami (FL)
Fellow, University of Maryland, Academy of Excellence in Local Governance
Certifications:
Maryland Open Meetings Act, Academy for Excellence in Local Governance from the University of Maryland
Ethical Leadership Certification, NASBA Center for the Public Trust
Awards and Recognition: The Montgomery County Executive’s Award for Excellence in the Arts and Humanities, 2012; EPIC Award for Excellence & Dedication for Teaching and Sharing the Arts & Humanities, 2017
Leadership Philosophy: I’ve always believed that leadership begins with listening. Then, it comes down to doing your homework, weighing factors/balancing priorities, and making the best decision to serve the interests of the community.
Where you’ll find me on Friday nights during the Fall:
Quince Orchard High School football games. Go QO!
Why I believe reading is so important:
The historian, David McCullough, said it perfectly: “You read nonfiction to learn the truth about history, and you read literature to learn the truth about human nature.” I try to do both – and as often as possible. This love of the written word played a big role in my founding the Gaithersburg Book Festival.
Some of my favorite books and authors: (just a few… I can go on forever!)
Fiction: ”The Age of Innocence,” Edith Wharton; “All the King’s Men,” Robert Penn Warren; ”Lonesome Dove,” Larry McMurtry; “Sing, Unburied, Sing,” Jesmyn Ward; “The Things They Carried,” Tim O’Brien; “The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier and Clay,” Michael Chabon; “Homeland Elegies,” Ayad Akhtar
Non-Fiction: “What It Takes,” Richard Ben Cramer; “The Rise of Theodore Roosevelt,” Edmund Morris; “Dreadnought,” Robert Massie; ”Godel, Escher Bach,” Douglas Hofstadter; “Battle Cry of Freedom,” James MacPherson; “The Right Stuff,” Tom Wolfe; “No Ordinary Time,” Doris Kearns Goodwin; “A Bridge Too Far,” Cornelius Ryan; “The Unwinding: An Inner History of the New America,” George Packer; “Caste,” Isabel Wilkerson
Favorite Line from “Hamilton”
“Legacy. What is a legacy?
It’s planting seeds in a garden you never get to see
I wrote some notes at the beginning of a song someone will sing for me
America, you great unfinished symphony, you sent for me
You let me make a difference
A place where even orphan immigrants
Can leave their fingerprints and rise up
I’m running out of time. I’m running, and my time’s up”
– from The World Was Wide Enough
I am not the kind of person who likes to assert himself in front of others and say “I did this, and I built that.” The fact is, I’m part of a great team that includes the City Council, our staff, our partners, our volunteers, and our residents. Our greatest accomplishments will always be...
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My job as Mayor is, first and foremost, to be the 'conductor of the orchestra.' I speak for the City; I work with the City Council to set priorities and provide direction to staff; and I work with City staff, our partners, and our volunteers to get things done for the good of Gaithersburg. I...
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On May 20th, we hosted our eightth annual Gaithersburg Book Festival. We set a record for attendance; an astounding 22,0000. For the seventh year in a row, C-SPAN broadcast the event, all-day, to a national audience. And, based on the attendee surveys, the GBF is continuing to grow, continuing to...
Read MoreSo here’s how you can contribute:
Or send checks to:
The Ashman Campaign
c/o Danny Winborne, Treasurer
P.O. Box 3255
Gaithersburg, MD 20885