Ashli Fragomeni

Ashli Fragomeni entered Russell Sage College as a History major with the intention of becoming a teacher — then a summer position at the YMCA inspired her interest in nonprofit programs, especially those serving youth. 

She went on to work at Ys in New York’s Capital Region and in New Orleans, and in 2020, she became executive director at Girls Inc. of the Greater Capital Region.

Girls Inc. provides summer camps, after school enrichment and much more to inspire girls to be healthy, smart and confident. 

Ashli said Sage helped prepare her for her career in nonprofit leadership.

First, there was her experience as a student-athlete on Sage’s women’s basketball team, which she always emphasized during job interviews early in her career. 

“I don’t think there’s anything better to learn time management, teamwork or leadership,” she said.  

Her experience serving as class vice president in her senior year was also formative.

“It helped me realize I enjoy being in a position where decisions I make impact people in a positive way,” she continued. 

And when she speaks to groups on behalf of Girls Inc. today, she remembers how it felt to listen to Emeritus Professor of History Andor Skotnes. 

“He made history fun. He brought it to life,” she said. That’s the kind of connection she wants to make with potential Girls Inc. supporters. 

Ashli grew up in nearby Wynantskill, New York, and had planned to go far away for college.

“I started touring schools outside of the region but I never quite felt at home,” she said. “Then I went to Sage one day. I met people in the athletics department and I started to immediately see myself there.” 

Once a student, Ashli made “instant lifelong connections” with her roommate and other members of the Golden Horseshoe Class of 2008 and within the athletics program. 

MVPs from Sage’s athletics history, including college archivist and athletics superfan Aggie Stillman and coaches and administrators Dani Drews, Jill Grebert and Kelly Thompson “made profound impacts on my life,” said Ashli, who returned to Sage as an assistant women’s basketball coach between 2015 and 2018. 

“Every single day I get stronger and smarter and wiser because of the women I spend time with — and that absolutely started at Sage,” she said.

Today, Ashli is also a certified life coach focused on helping women achieve their goals.  

 As she enters her fourth year leading Girls, Inc, she is working with her leadership team — including board president Caitlin Cooper Montalvo ’08 — to set ambitious goals for the organization.

One of the pillars of its developing strategic plan is expansion, she said. Plans to establish a Girls Inc. presence at the Arts Center of the Capital Region — just a few blocks from Sage’s Troy campus — are underway. 

Her hope is that the Troy partnership can become a blueprint for Girls Inc. collaborations in other upstate New York locations. 

“Our Albany Center is flourishing. Our Schenectady Center is flourishing,” Ashli said. “How many more young lives can we impact?”