Age 33 Place of Birth: Woodside, NY Where you live: Woodside, NY First Job: Lifeguard What it taught me: Responsibility, patience in dealing with all kinds of people, and the value of working to earn my own money. Status: Single Family: Mother - Kathleen (Worth); Father: John; Sister, Mary; Brothers, John and Tommy. My Great-great-grandparents were from the following areas in Ireland: Catherine Flynn from Co. Meath, Edward Carrollan from Dublin, Mary Fitzgerald from Belfast, Daniel Carroll from Co. Armagh. Three things people would be surprised to know about me: 1. My first time scuba diving was at the Great Barrier Reef; 2. I am seriously afraid of flying despite the fact that I travel frequently (even as far as Australia); 3. I was a nationally ranked swimmer in high school. Best advice you could give someone starting out: Always treat others as you'd like to be treated. Work hard, but also make time to enjoy yourself and be grateful for everything you have.
Colleen Ashton, Director of Project Management for the Sergeants Benevolent Association of the NYPD, was born and raised in Woodside, NY. She is a proud product of Catholic education. Ashton received her BA as a Presidential Scholar at Iona College and her MBA from Syracuse University. Upon graduation, she worked as a consultant at Citibank and The New York Stock Exchange. In addition to her current role at the SBA, Ashton teaches online courses for the Master of Science in Organizational Leadership program at Mercy College. Her greatest accomplishment is the Thomas Ashton Foundation, established in honor of her brother, Tommy, who was 21 years old on September 11, 2001 when he lost his life at the World Trade Center. As President of the foundation, Colleen organizes an annual basketball tournament in Tommy's memory, which has raised over $150,000 that has been donated to worthy causes in the Woodside community and beyond.
