TORRANCE TRIBUNE January 29, 2015 Page 3 Councilmember Heidi Ashcraft Looks for Ways to Be Involved By Laura Sorensen Ashcraft Designs is a spare white building tucked away on Nash Street in El Segundo. Residents might drive by it a hundred times and not know it was there, unless they happened to need a gross of consumer electronics items: the company, founded in 1986, creates beautiful and functional speakers, headphones, and even bathtubs for luxury hotels. But the Ashcraft brand didn’t start out in a soaring space full of glass and air; it began with two people who joined forces personally and professionally. One had an artistic vision, and one had the talent for organization and management. They have worked together to ensure not just the company’s success, but the successes of their personal lives: childraising, marriage, and religious and personal goals. They are Heidi and Dan Ashcraft, and this year Ms. Ashcraft ran an effective campaign to become Councilmember Ashcraft, the only woman to serve on the Torrance City Council. She has held many positions in the Torrance community because she has always wanted to give back to the city that has meant so much to her. As the daughter of a machine shop owner and a finishing school graduate, Ashcraft knew that she wanted to go to college, but that she would have to finance it herself. She went to Southwest College and graduated from the medical assisting program, then worked as a medical assistant while attending community Torrance Councilmember Heidi Ashcraft. Photo courtesy of Ashcraft Designs. college. Then in her early twenties, she married Dan, who was attending school for design. Her first baby came along but she didn’t slow down a bit, continuing to work full time. Ashcraft enjoyed the nursing aspect of being a medical assistant but saw that the “front office” was the place with the higher salary. She became the manager at the doctor’s office where she worked, taking care of everything from billing to filing to patient management. Dan would drop her off at 7am with the baby, and pick her up at 7pm after he was done with school. Then at night, Ashcraft would take classes at Citrus College. “You just think of how to get through one day and go to the next one,” she said of those long days and long nights. Three more children followed, and her husband graduated from design school and began working for a design firm. They both loved the beach and followed their hearts to the South Bay, where they bought a little cottage built in the 1920s. By this time, Ashcraft had thoroughly learned how to be a manager, and talking to her, it is easy to see why. Involvement is deeply ingrained in her personality, and management is the outward manifestation of involvement. As this story continues, the reader will note a pattern: when Ashcraft finds herself in a situation, she doesn’t hang back on the sidelines and let someone else handle it. She goes straight up to the front and does the work herself, saying, “I don’t join things just to put my name on a list.” For instance: Ashcraft’s school in the Torrance Unified School District, so while working part-time at a doctor’s office and raising four children full-time, she also began participating in PTA meetings. Her daughter went to Girl Scouts: she became a Girl Scout leader. Her sons played soccer and baseball: she found herself a spot on the AYSO and Little League boards. I don’t even have to go out on a limb to say that all these boards were probably ecstatic to have her, not to mention the networking opportunities that participation on these boards bring forth. Torrance at its heart is a small town, and people remember and appreciate services done for the community. Ashcraft also loved her twelve years on the TUSD board, where she eventually became PTA President at West High and then was elected to the School Board. After her time on the board, she took a break from medical work and devoted herself to Ashcraft Designs. Her husband was very successful at designing beautiful stereo equipment, but Ashcraft took one look at the manager he had hired and knew she could do better. She had been involved in the business ever since, and she and Dan have desks right across from one another, where they can use their complementary skills for the company’s benefit. They have been married 44 years. Ashcraft’s unofficial networking paid off last year, when then-mayor Frank Scotto approached her as a candidate for City Council. Ashcraft had known Scotto’s wife Cindy for many years as part of the PTA and part of the YMCA, where Ashcraft had been elected the first female board president. Mayor Scotto knew of Ashcraft’s governing experience and her love of the city, and asked her to run for City Council to give the Council a female perspective. Ashcraft believed she could win a seat, even though there were a total of 16 competitors last June for three seats. She said the best part of the election process was See Women at Work, page 10 It’s Time. Equal Pay for Equal Work. This is the personal opinion of Heidi Maerker Burkley & Brandlin LLP A T T O R N E Y S A T L AW children went to Living Trusts/Wills, Probate, Employment Law, Personal Injury Trust and Estates Litigation, Business Litigation, Civil Litigation 310-540-6000 *AV Rated (Highest) Martindale - Hubbell / **Certified Specialist Estate Planning, Trust & Probate Law, State Bar of California, Board of Legal Specialization 15-1252ps_sby-ie-15-008 ©2015 lacmta Eat, Shop, Play Crenshaw…and Win Cash! Pledge your support to shop at participating businesses along the Crenshaw corridor and qualify for a chance to win great prizes – including up to $1000 cash! Find out how to pledge and see complete rules at metro.net/crenshaw. Fall in Love with Metro on Valentine’s Day Impress your Valentine this year and Go Metro. Whether you’re planning a date in Koreatown, Long Beach, Pasadena or Downtown LA, Metro riders receive discounts at a variety of restaurants and shows. For these specials and more, visit metro.net/discounts. Electric Buses Coming to Metro Metro is preparing for delivery of its >rst completely electric bus, one of >ve the agency will be testing over the coming months. If successful, Metro will be expanding its electric ?eet to continue its quest for greener, more sustainable transit options. Pledge to Go Metro this Year Still working on your New Year’s resolution? Why not get your company to buy you a Metro Pass? Metro o=ers a program that gives incentives to your employer and a relaxing commute to you. Call 213.922.2811 to get started. metro.net @metrolosangeles losangelesmetro Police Reports Burglary-Auto 1/18/2015 3:30:18 AM 5000 BLOCK MACAFEE ROAD Suspect(s) enters unlocked vehicle and takes property/purse Burglary-Auto 1/18/2015 6:00:00 AM 24200 BLOCK NEECE AVE Suspect(s) takes property from trunk of possibly unlocked vehicle/ cash, skateboard, shoes, clothes, cleaning supplies Auto Theft 1/17/2015 8:41 PM 3300 BLOCK CIVIC CENTER DR Stolen vehicle: ‘09 Mercedes Benz E350 Vandalism 1/17/2015 7:20:00 PM 4400 BLOCK TORRANCE BLVD Suspect(s) punctures victim’s vehicle’s tires Vandalism 1/17/2015 7:23:37 PM 16900 BLOCK PRAIRIE AVE Suspect(s) pries window, smashing same/ no entry, no loss Vandalism 1/18/2015 8:16:30 AM 4300 BLOCK ARTESIA BLVD Suspect(s) smashes window on parked vehicle/no entry, no loss Burglary-Auto 1/18/2015 11:00:00 AM 5000 BLOCK SHARYNNE LANE Suspect(s) takes property from unlocked vehicle/ wallet, cell phone • Tech Talk How Can Social Media Help Me Find Potential Customers? By Sid Kato, Array Systems, Inc. Let’s look at social media in the context of marketing. The focus of any good marketing plan is to understand your customers - where are they located and how can you create a message that resonates with them. Let’s assume as a small business you don’t have the big budget that some of your competitors have. Your best strategy may be a focused rather than shotgun approach. And social media may be just what you need to do it! There are several social media platforms used today, the most popular being Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter, with Pinterest coming up fast. Each platform has a unique customer demographic. Here’s how I would categorize them. Over the past 5 years, Facebook has transitioned from a younger audience to an older audience with a focus mainly on social connections. LinkedIn has many professional contacts and is good for Business to Business connections. For a younger audience, Twitter is your best bet, attracting mostly those in the Millennial age group. Finally, Pinterest is used primarily by a female population of various ages. So, for example, if you’re selling your product or service to another business then your focus should be on LinkedIn. Always start by See Tech Talk, page 8 Correction Re: Ohio State quarterbacks. “Your article in the Torrance Tribune reversed the order. Braxton Miller was the original starter and J.T. Barrett took over from him when Braxton had a shoulder injury. Cardale Jones then took over from Barrett.” Thank you Clay Nenno. We regret the error. •
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