Gera Ashton

Gera Ashton became the acting New Mexico State Director in February 2026. Prior to this, she was the Arizona Associate State Director since 2022. She has held leadership positions at all levels of the bureau, including Deputy Assistant Director for Headquarters Human Capital, Deputy State Director for Business and Support Services for the Arizona State Office, Business Manager for the National Operations Center’s Division of Resource Services, and Support Services Supervisor at the Southern Nevada District Office. Ashton’s BLM experience also includes serving as the acting District Manager in the Colorado River District and acting District Manager in the Southern Nevada District. She has served on several bureau and department teams to maximize organizational effectiveness and improve the quality and efficiency of business processes and services. Before her tenure with the BLM, she worked for the Bureau of Reclamation and the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service. Ashton is a U.S. Air Force Veteran with more than 25 years of public service. She earned her Bachelor of Arts in Communications from Iowa State University.