People to Watch 2025: Ashley McFarland crafting a whole new department in East Spencer

Published 12:05 am Tuesday, January 28, 2025

EAST SPENCER  — Ashley McFarland knew she wanted to work in finance, and knew one day she’d get there, but what she didn’t know was that she would be the one to tackle creating an entirely new finance department for a town.

As part of a series at the Salisbury Post, People to Watch 2025, McFarland was chosen as she stepped into a new role, both for herself and for the community where she works.

McFarland graduated with a degree in financial management and administration from N.C. Central University in 2016, and the Goldsboro native held stopgap jobs, including as a nanny, while she continued to search for the right fit for her goals and her studies. When the opening came up for a finance director in East Spencer, the town’s first, she threw her hat in the ring. She started Oct. 1, 2024, and at the time, noted that she had some anxiety about the job since there was no established path to follow.

But Town Manager Michael Douglas was looking to her to help not only establish policies to guide the town going forward, but to help with seeking out and applying for grant money.

The town has struggled in the past with audits and he also wanted someone who could get the town on track to get reports submitted on time and in budget, and to date, he says McFarland has more than measured up.

Members of the board of aldermen, including Mayor Barbara Mallett, have also been more than satisfied with hr performance.

And McFarland has gained a level of confidence now that “I’ve gotten in the groove of things.”

“I’ve written several policies to begin to craft our overall actions,” she said, “because we needed to have an overall system in place. For instance we need to have a catalog for invoices that show which department they fall under and which account balance they are paid from. I’ve also applied for several grants and I have my eyes out for more.”

Her mother, she said, has been immensely supportive “but she always knew this was what I wanted to do, and she always believed I would get here.”

When she started the job, she lived an hour away, but has since moved to the Concord area so her commute was cut in half, “and that’s been a big relief, to be so much closer.”

She’s also had some opportunities to get to know the community.

“At the time I started, we had the Southern Soul Festival, which gave me a chance to get out and talk to residents and to vendors, businesses in the area, and I enjoyed that,” she said. She added that the town leaders have worked to make her feel welcome.

“I’m from a small town, though maybe not this small,” she laughed. “But they share the same feeling. It’s family, it’s connections. There isn’t necessarily a lot to do here yet, but I see the growth. I do have to laugh though when I hear someone got a speeding ticket in East Spencer. I’m not sure how you do that, but it is a warm community and I’m enjoying learning it.”

She said she is at about a 95 percent confidence level, and when her six-month probationary period ends, she believe she’ll be at 100 percent.

“It’s not that I’m perfect,” she said, noting that proofreading is always essential to catch typos or transposed numbers, but “I really feel like I’ve gotten on track, and I’m looking forward to the future.”

As part of recognizing the People to Watch for the Post, each individual was asked to answer five particular questions.

If you were stranded on a desert island and could only have on record/album to listen to, what would it be and why?

Do I only get to choose one? I have two, and they are both upbeat, if I can only listen to one thing! My first choice is Rema’s album “Rave and Roses.” He’s an Afrobeats artist and I love that kind of music. My second choice would be Kendrick Lamar’s “Mr. Morale and the Big Steppers.” I absolutely love that album. The whole thing though is to give me something positive to listen to.

If they made a movie about your life, who should the producers cast to play you?

I get this a lot because this actress apparently looks a lot like me. It would be Tasha Smith from Tyler Perry’s “Why did I get married?”

What is your motto/mantra/favorite saying?

“Never give up, because you always have another day.” The moment you give up, you lose the fight. So I tell myself that I need to believe in myself, in my abilities. Believing in you is essential. It may be raining today, but tomorrow the sun will come out. Focus on the positive, use your affirmations or meditations or however you use positive thoughts to reinforce you until better times come.

Do you have a personal goal for 2025?

I want to continue to grow in my job here, but I also want to engage in wider networking with others in my field. I think making connections with others who already do what I do is an incredible chance for growth and learning, and I am always all about learning. And I have considered the idea of getting my master’s degree in finance, so that may be something I start this year.

Who is someone that you will be watching in 2025?

Our president and his administration. Because of all that is going on, with changes to programs and policies, I will be watching the president and all those who surround him, including the businesses that are aligning themselves with him. That’s only natural, but it does mean that this year, and the next four years, I will be watching, along with others, to see who has all of our best interests at heart.