[Congressional Record Volume 170, Number 121 (Thursday, July 25, 2024)]
[Senate]
[Pages S5506-S5507]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                         TRIBUTE TO ASHLI WATTS

  Mr. McCONNELL. Mr. President, I rise today to recognize Ashli Watts, 
president and CEO of the Kentucky Chamber of Commerce and a leading 
voice in my home State's business community.
  From an early age, Ashli had an affinity for public policy. Like me, 
she got her start in politics through a congressional internship on 
Capitol Hill. This early experience in our Nation's Capital cemented 
Ashli's interest in policy and public advocacy even further. Upon 
graduating from Campbellsville University, where she remains an active 
and involved alumna, Ashli went on to pursue her graduate degree in 
political science/public policy and administration at my alma mater, 
the University of Louisville.
  Ashli put her public policy experience and education to good use on 
behalf of Kentucky's workers and job creators when she joined the 
Kentucky Chamber of Commerce in 2012, our State's largest business 
association. Her hard work and yearslong dedication eventually earned 
her the top post at the chamber in 2019.
  Not long after taking the helm, the coronavirus pandemic turned daily 
life in America upside down and our Nation's business community flat on 
its back. The health and economic crisis that unfolded wrought 
widespread destruction on Main Street America, shuttering businesses 
and forcing millions out of work. During this time of upheaval, 
Kentucky's job creators fortunately had a strong advocate in Ashli. As 
chamber president and CEO, she worked to ensure employers in my home 
State were informed and that their priorities were always heard in 
Frankfort and Washington.
  Ashli has certainly wasted no time working hard to improve Kentucky's 
business landscape and has never shied away from an opportunity to help 
her home State. Her leadership on issues ranging from tax reform to 
supporting our workforce to navigating the regulatory environment has 
laid a solid foundation for the future success of Kentucky's many 
businesses. Just recently, I was pleased to see her appointment to 
chair the U.S. Chamber's Committee of 100, which represents the top 100 
chamber leaders in the Nation.
  As the chamber's first female president, Ashli has also used her 
platform to highlight other female leaders in the Commonwealth. She 
helped establish the chamber's first annual women's summit in 2020 to 
celebrate Kentuckians who are making a big impact at the local, State, 
and national levels. This yearly event has gained widespread 
recognition for its work to amplify the remarkable careers and 
accomplishments of Kentucky's women.
  Mr. President, Spectrum News recently published an article 
highlighting Ashli's impact on my home State. I ask unanimous consent 
that a copy of the article be printed in the Record.
  There being no objection, the text of the material was ordered to be 
printed in the Record, as follows:

       Frankfort, KY.--Being a chamber president has always felt 
     like an accidental career for Ashli Watts. It's not that 
     Watts, the Kentucky Chamber of Commerce's first-ever female 
     president and CEO, was unintentional in her professional 
     ascension or that she fell into the role; in fact, her 
     incredible journey to the top of the state's largest business 
     association has always been guided by thoughtful 
     intentionality.
       An Elizabethtown native and lifelong Kentuckian, Watts 
     always had an interest in politics and public policy. 
     Following in the footsteps of her grandmother and mother, 
     Watts attended Campbellsville University after high school, 
     where she majored in political science and history. She 
     learned her way around the Capitol during an internship at 
     the legislature, a role that only strengthened her passion 
     for politics.
       ``I always knew my career would probably be centered around 
     politics or public policy but I didn't really know that there 
     was a career that was available where you could influence 
     policy, you could convene stakeholders, and you could make a 
     difference and not have to put your name on a ballot,'' Watts 
     said, recounting her path to the Chamber. ``I think that's 
     what I found with the chamber world.''
       Watts has been with the Chamber for almost 12 years now, 
     starting out as a lobbyist. She successfully led the 
     organization's efforts to pass major legislation for tax 
     reform, workers compensation reform and right-to-work 
     legislation. Her work gave her a front-row seat to the real-
     life effects of public policy. She helped to get felony 
     expungement legislation passed in 2016, a bill that will 
     always hold a special place in her heart.
       Watts says, through their research, the Chamber learned 
     past convictions were potentially preventing thousands of 
     Kentuckians from getting their lives back on track. The 
     organization identified felony expungement as a workforce 
     issue, which proved to be transformative in getting the 
     legislation passed.
       ``We realized that almost 80,000 Kentuckians had one 
     single, non-violent Class D felony on their records that were 
     really holding them back from the workforce. We were able to 
     get it across the finish line, get it signed into law--and 
     this is after other groups had been trying to do this for 
     about 20 years,'' Watts said.
       The personal stories Watts has heard since the bill's 
     passage stick with her the most.
       ``[They've] been able to get better jobs and they've been 
     able to gain better employment. They've been able to take 
     their kids on field trips, where before they were not able to 
     do that,'' Watts said. ``Sometimes policy seems really wonky 
     and in the weeds, but then you see really what impact you 
     have. It really does make a big difference.''

[[Page S5507]]

       As the leader of one of Frankfort's most powerful lobbying 
     groups, making a big difference is certainly something Watts 
     knows a thing or two about. She was just 37-years-old in 2019 
     when she was named the Kentucky Chamber's president and CEO. 
     Recently, she was appointed as the first female chair of the 
     U.S. Chamber's ``Committee of 100'', which is the top 100 
     chamber leaders throughout the United States.
       One of the first things Watts did as the Chamber's leader 
     was to form the annual Women's Summit, an event celebrating 
     Kentucky women who have found success on the state and 
     national stage. Former Kentucky Gov. Martha Layne Collins, 
     former U.N. Ambassador Kelly Craft, former Secretary of 
     Transportation Elaine Chao, and Lt. Gov. Jacqueline Coleman 
     are among the women who have been honored at the summit.
       ``We really want to just give voice to these women that are 
     doing really remarkable things and making Kentucky shine,'' 
     said Watts.
       Watts also wants her eight-year-old son and 11-year-old 
     daughter to see women can do remarkable things. After 
     applying for the job during her maternity leave, Watts 
     started working at the Chamber of Commerce when her daughter 
     was just six weeks old. Instead of finding a worklife 
     balance, she likes to think of it as ``work-life 
     integration.''
       ``I do think it's really important, especially for my 
     daughter, who's almost 12-years-old, to see that her mom can 
     do really kind of big and really important things and still 
     be a mom, and still host the sleepovers, and still take her 
     to the carpool, and fix her hair for school dances--and then 
     the next day I can be in Washington D.C. testifying,'' said 
     Watts. ``I think seeing that nice balance is really important 
     for young women. So I'm hoping that I am a role model for my 
     daughter.''
       Watts, who serves on the board of directors for 
     Campbellsville University and as chair of the academic 
     committee for her alma mater, believes it's especially 
     important for leaders to give back to their communities and 
     to their state, adding that it's what makes someone a well-
     rounded professional.
       ``I give [Campbellsville] a lot of credit for really making 
     me who I am today. Giving me the kind of the strength that I 
     needed and the education I needed to tackle this career,'' 
     said Watts. ``It's a really important way for me to give back 
     to a university that has given back so much to me.''
       Watts also serves on boards for Prevent Child Abuse 
     Kentucky, University of Kentucky College of Public Health, 
     University of Louisville President's Advisory Council, U.S. 
     Chamber of Commerce, National Association of State Chambers, 
     and the American Chamber of Commerce Executives, where she 
     was also named a 40 under 40 in 2020.
       Watts attributes her own success to being present, 
     intentional. She encourages young professionals to be 
     cautious of the complacency that can come with virtual or 
     hybrid work settings where they may not see their colleagues 
     face-to-face.
       ``I do think it's really important for young people in 
     particular to be present, be seen, be visible because 
     sometimes if you're out of sight, you're a little bit out of 
     mind and for me I really do think one of the keys to my 
     success was that I was always here. I was always around if 
     someone needed something or if I needed to go to a meeting.'' 
     Watts said. ``When you look around and see some offices that 
     are empty or people working from home, sometimes that 
     camaraderie and that relationship is not going to get built, 
     so you really have to be intentional.''
       As a trailblazing leader and a major power broker for 
     Kentucky businesses, Watts has created a career built on 
     relationships and trust--her presence and thoughtful 
     intentionality guiding her to the top.

                          ____________________