Meet Our: Ashley Chester

Published July 3, 2018
Ashley Chester

Ashley Chester is one of the Charleston District's newest contracting specialists who help ensure the work for our projects is paid for and held to the agreed upon contract.

What is your position?
Contract Specialist

Which of our customers do you typically do contracts for?
I provide support for Joint Base Charleston, the 81st Readiness Division program, and Fort Jackson.

What is the most unique thing you bring to the District?
I have mostly post-award construction experience as a contracting officer for very unique and unusual projects, most notable being a $30 million humanitarian aid program in Haiti and a $158 million construction project for the U.S. Navy’s Nuclear Power Training Unit. I hope to be able to apply that post-award perspective into acquisition strategy and pre-award processes.

What is the most rewarding part of your job?
I like being in a position where I can make a difference. Being able to see and hear about tangible deliverables resulting from a contract action I’ve worked that directly supports our military and at the same time offers the best value for the taxpayers is extremely rewarding.

Highlight a notable milestone or memory in your career.
In 2016, I was awarded NAVFAC Southeast’s Employee of the Year award. To be recognized across the entire southeast region for my contributions as a contracting officer serving in a supporting role in an organization focused on engineering and project management was a huge honor and great milestone in my career.

What goals do you have for your career at the District?
I enjoy researching and strategizing new potential process improvements. I’m looking forward to being an active participant on teams that are continuously looking for ways to improve processes and hope to provide valuable input to find new and innovative ways to get the job done as efficiently and effectively as possible.

What is something most people don’t know about you?
I enjoy planning out, designing, and working on house projects and renovations. There’s something really rewarding about taking something old and making it new, refreshed, and, often, more functional.