Ashley Russo, president of ASR Media Productions, is a seven-time Emmy® award-winning executive producer and host of The PEAK TV and St. Luke’s HealthNow. A 25-year media veteran, Ashley graduated from New York University’s Arthur L. Carter Journalism Institute. She is also the creator and host of the podcast Unscripted with Russo. Ashley became the director of Fig Lehigh Valley in 2023 when ASR announced its acquisition of the publication. Additionally, she is the chief operating officer at Magnaplate, the world’s leading manufacturer of engineered coating solutions. Ashley is the third generation to step into an executive role at the company founded by her grandparents, Charles and Sylvia, in 1952. At Magnaplate, Ashley’s years of management experience are capitalized to improve efficiency and communication.
Deeply committed to her community, Ashley served as Co-Chair of United Way of the Greater Lehigh Valley’s (UWGLV) 2022 Campaign. She serves on the boards of Children’s Home of Easton, Greater Lehigh Valley Chamber of Commerce (GLVCC), Girl Scouts of Eastern Pennsylvania (GSEP) and its Community Excellence sub-committee, and Hospital Central Services, Inc.& Affiliates. Ashley is also an active committee member, supporting the Wildlands Conservancy, American Heart Association’s Circle of Red, Women United, and UWGLV’s Marketing and Communications Committee, to name just a few. She regularly donates her time and talent as an emcee and auctioneer for numerous regional events.
The recipient of several leadership awards, Ashley was most recently honored with the LifePath and PICPA Community Service Person of the Year award, recognized for Girl Scouts of Eastern PA’s Take the Lead, named UWGLV’s Community Builder, received the Betsy Torrence Philanthropist of the Year from Women United, and was named GLVCC’s Volunteer of the Year.
Ashley began her career as a producer on NBC’s TODAY show, Bloomberg L.P., and The Weather Channel. Her entrepreneurial spirit soon kicked in, and she became a writer, independent producer, and media consultant for numerous national publications and experts, including Cooks Illustrated, Prevention magazine, Women’s Day, and Weider Publications. A lifetime horse lover, Ashley is a multi-time American Saddlebred world and national-titled equestrian. She resides in Bethlehem with her husband of twenty-four years, Joe, and her two children, Nolan (20) and Renna (19).
