Ashley Keeble (’03, BS, Finance) Recipient: 2018 UAH Alumni of Achievement Award

Ashley Keeble is a deputy program manager at Pacific Architects and Engineering (PAE) for the Africa Peacekeeping Program (AFRICAP) and Africa Programs. PAE, established in 1955 specializes in expeditionary construction, logistics, operations and maintenance, and training. PAE currently has a presence in all continents and have programs in 22 countries in Africa.

"My degree from UAH has been critical to my success," Keeble said. "I began working with Jacobs Sverdrup at Marshall Space Flight Center as a budget analyst then worked my way up to business development, and finally management in Africa."

Keeble is responsible for managing and assisting the AFRICAP and Africa team, with revenues of $100 million annually. In addition, Keeble reports directly to the Vice President of Expeditionary Support and Stabilization (ESS) and provides all management and support necessary for the AFRICAP program and other Africa programs under the ESS business area. PAE customers include the US Department of State, United Nations, World Food Program and UN High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR).

"There is not a day that I do not use my finance degree in my current career," said Keeble. "I run operations in Africa but you always have a budget to adhere to, or profit and loss targets to hit."

Before her employment at PAE, she was employed as a senior pricing policy analyst at Lockheed Martin Corporation in Rosslyn, VA. Keeble also served as Business Ops Staff III (Pricing/Contracts) at United Space Alliance, LLC at the Kennedy Space Center, Cape Canaveral, FL.

A graduate of Huntsville High School, Keeble was advised to attend UAH by her dad. "My father also attended the university and always spoke very highly of UAH."

Keeble’s favorite university memory is the day her father convinced her to take a specific finance class. Finance professor Dr. Dorla Evans taught the course. "When I finished Professor Evans’ class, that’s when I knew I wanted to pursue a career in corporate finance. That moment really forged the path to where I am today."

Keeble also earned a Master of Business Administration degree (Acquisition and Contract Management) from The Florida Institute of Technology. She is the recipient of numerous awards and honors including participation in the PAE’s Leadership Development Program, member and senior vice president National Contracts Management Association, Jacobs Sverdrup MSFC Extra Miler Award, and the Jacobs Sverdrup MSFC Continuous Improvement Award.

One piece of advice Keeble shares with young people who are thinking about unconventional career paths is to not be afraid of traveling.

"The day I was told I needed to travel to Africa they put me in a tent in an extremely remote camp in South Sudan. Many would find this crazy but I embraced it and grew to love the experiences," she said. "Another piece of advice would be to embrace change because every day I face challenges that are completely out of the norm."

---