Meet Jud
Name: Jud Ashman 
Birthplace: Miami, Florida
Family: Wife – Lee; and Children – Jeff (18), and Jenna (15)
Pets: Courtney and Kricket, two very food-obsessed tiger-striped tabby cats
Neighborhood: Orchard Place, a charming little townhouse community on the west side of NIST, adjacent to the Diamond Farms Post Office. We’ve lived here since 1997.
Education: B.A., Double Major in Journalism and Political Science, University of Miami
Occupation: Small business owner: President, The Elegant Envelope, a specialty mailshop serving nonprofit organizations, associations, museums, educational institutions, and event planners throughout the DC Metro area.
Leadership Philosophy: Leadership begins with listening. That’s the principle that Mike Sesma and I ran on in 2005, and it’s the foundation for everything I’ve done in the community. Then, leadership is about doing your homework, weighing all factors, and making the best decision to serve the interests of the community.
Civic and Community Service:
- 2001-2003, Chairman, Citizens for Smarter Growth, a civic organization dedicated to protecting Quality of Life in Gaithersburg.
- 2000-2003, Youth Roller Hockey Coach, Gaithersburg Rec Department
- 2002, Worked with City Staff revising the City’s Master Plan
- 2002-2003, President, Brown Station Elementary School PTA
- 2001-2006, Executive Board Member, Kingsview Middle School PTSA
- 2003-present, Executive Board Member, Quince Orchard High School PTSA
- 2005-present, Member, Board of Directors, MCCPTA (The County PTA Organization)
- 2005-present, Coordinator, Quince Orchard Cluster of PTAs
- 2005, Candidate for Gaithersburg City Council (only 44 votes short!)
- 2007, Member, City of Gaithersburg Mayor’s Ad-Hoc Election Participation Committee
- 2007, Board Member, Orchard Place Homeowner’s Association
Favorite City Restaurants:
Red Rock Canyon, The Flaming Pit, Moby Dick, Dogfish Head Alehouse, and Growler’s.
Favorite City Events:
Shakespeare in the Park, Olde Towne Day, Oktoberfest, and the 4th of July Celebration.
Personal Interests:
I’ve probably spent more time in various volunteer positions with local and County PTA’s than any other pastime and it has ‘almost always’ been a labor of love! Another pastime of mine is reading: both fiction and nonfiction. The great historian, David McCullough, once said, “You read nonfiction to learn the truth about history, and you read literature to learn the truth about human nature.”
You can use the following form to send Jud an email; you’ll receive a copy of the email as a confirmation.