Ashley Hillard grew up in Washington state where she developed her love of nature, especially wildlife, as a child. She graduated at the top of her film school class from the University of Arizona and recently graduated with a Master of Environmental Management degree from Duke University. While attending Duke, she completed a Stanback Fellowship with LCV on their Youth Digital Campaigns team and a Communications Assistant Internship with the Duke Environmental Law and Policy Clinic. She recently started working for Moms Clean Air Force as the North Carolina field organizer consultant. Along with her environmental policy and advocacy work, she produces and directs documentaries. Since attending Duke, she has produced and directed two short documentaries about wildlife management, Restoring Point Reyes about tule elk in California and Loups Marin about gray seals around Cape Cod. She is currently producing and directing the feature documentary Coexistence, which gives a variety of perspectives on the issues facing wildlife in the United States and Badin: The Last Company Town, which centers on a community in North Carolina that is dealing with the aftermath of toxic working conditions and waste dumped in their community. She currently lives in Durham and enjoys spending time with her family and friends, traveling and hiking with her partner and dogs, watching TV with her cat and going to the Alamo Drafthouse to watch movies as often as possible.