Women's History Month 2024 - Kristine Ashton
My name is Kristine Ashton. I became the City Beautification Specialist a year ago. I oversee the contractors who provide all Horticulture services on City grounds and public rights-of-way throughout the community. This includes landscape maintenance, irrigation, stormwater maintenance, pest management, tree plantings, landscape renovations, and all the color that gets planted throughout the city each year. Along with oversight of these contracts, I also enjoy doing design work and am constantly looking for beautification opportunities. Knowing that I get to influence how this city will look and feel, now and in the future, brings me great satisfaction. This position is the perfect culmination of all the education and knowledge I’ve obtained over the past 34 years. And because I’ve had a few not-so-dreamy jobs, I am grateful for it every day!
My career started in Anchorage Alaska, at the age of 21, with the City’s Parks & Beautification Department. I was by far the youngest person ever hired for the position. I worked with a group of older women who had been with the City for many years and they had a profound impact on my life personally and professionally. They taught me how to be a garden designer - planning and creating large-scale, award-winning display gardens throughout the city. They were my mentors, friends, and my much-needed support system at the time. I was a bit of a wild one back then and they helped to reel me in a bit.
After several years there, I decided to go to college, so I moved to Portland to pursue my degree which ended up being in Graphic Design. After graduating, I took on a temporary job at the Oregon Zoo and realized that gardening was still my passion. A few years later I was the Senior Horticulturist for the zoo! While there I took advantage of every professional development opportunity available to me. I became proficient in heavy equipment operation, irrigation management, landscape construction, and project management, to name a few. My favorite part of the job was building new exhibits. I am most proud of the Predators of the Serengeti exhibit. I performed all aspects of landscape construction for the project - everything from site grading to installing boulders and fallen trees for the animals to climb on. I installed the entire irrigation system and landscape on the interior and exterior of the exhibit. It was such an effort and one of the most rewarding things I’ve ever done! I learned so much in my position there, but after 12 years I decided it was time to move on. A few years later, I landed here.
I spent most of my time at the zoo being the only woman in the room. Navigating that was a challenge for me when I was younger. I didn’t have the self esteem and confidence that I do today and it took me awhile to find my voice. I had to prove myself many times over. I think a lot of young women can relate to that, especially when you’re in a male-dominated environment. But as you get older you start to see what sets you apart and you build confidence. I wish I had gotten to that place earlier in my career. I would tell my younger self to speak up. Say what you think.
For women just starting out, I would say the goal in life is to find what you love doing and do it. You may not know what that is right away, but you’ll get there. You may struggle along the way and have some setbacks. Just don’t let those setbacks define you. You will experience personal and professional struggles in life. Just keep pressing on. Don’t let anything or anyone hold you back. Take every opportunity to learn and advance in your field of interest. Keep building that resume. Keep looking for your dream job. Make perseverance your superpower!!!
Photo: Kristine enjoying the great outdoors.
