Andrews & Foster, based in Athens, Texas, is a 76-year-old family-owned company that specializes in water well drilling, cathodic protection drilling and groundwater exploration development. Ashley Foster, vice president of the company, is a fourth generation leader of the business, which was founded by her great grandfather. Her progression into the role, however, wasn’t nearly as natural and long-awaited as are most paths to the family business.
Foster has a passion for public health, and after studying political science and public health at George Washington University, she stayed in Washington, D.C., professionally immersing herself in those fields. She long considered her career path completely unrelated to Andrews & Foster, but over the years she says she came to realize that both realities were considerably intertwined. “My entire life I listened to the challenges and frustrations of my grandfather and father, and I saw that it was within my power to alleviate some of those challenges in ways they’d never considered,” Foster says. “So, I packed my bags, moved back to Texas, and the rest is history. I like to jokingly tell my dad he is finally getting a return on his investment.”