Meet the Ashleys: Brett, Michala, Ben, Kyle, and Brooke. Now four-year Oak Creek residents, Brett, Michala and the gang aren’t the only Ashleys in town. “Tyler is home to four generations of our family,” says Michala Ashley. Their family is a part of the Tyler community in every age demographic: from grandparent and parent retirees living large at Meadow Lakes, parents within UT Tyler administration and faculty, to themselves as working parents, their siblings, nieces, children and babies. It’s safe to say that the Ashleys are fully integrated into their Tyler community. “There is no place we would rather be,” Michala says. “Tyler sure has a way of bringing people together.”

 

The Ashleys moved to Oak Creek in 2021, drawn to the neighborhood by the offerings of “breathing room and trees while still close to the town amenities [they] enjoy.” When a larger lot filled with trees that backed up to more woods became available, the Ashleys knew they found their next home and started their build. “We fell in love with Oak Creek due to all the outdoor activities and proximity to schools, shopping, and ballparks it provided,” says Michala. “We are going on our fourth year in the neighborhood and could not be happier with our decision.  We loved the neighborhood's location in south Tyler, the friendly community, and the club at Tyler Athletics and Swim.”

 

Brett and Michala Ashley clearly love the community they have found in Tyler, but their journey to finding each other began elsewhere. Brett is originally from Hattiesburg, Mississippi, while Michala grew up in Syracuse, New York. When she was a high school sophomore, Michala’s family moved from New York to south Mississippi. This was where she met Brett, and they became high school sweethearts. “We are the real-life example of the northern girl in math club and show choir who marries the southern two-time state baseball champion boy!,” Michala says. Inseparable since their courtship, 2025 will mark twenty-years together for Brett and Michala. After high school, they jointly attended the University of Southern Mississippi, followed by their move to Tyler to attend their respective graduate schools at the University of Texas at Tyler (MBA for Michala, MPA for Brett). Michala will graduate with her second graduate degree in April, a Master’s in Data Science from Texas Tech University.

 

While their romantic lives have been long intertwined, Brett and Michala’s professional lives look quite different. Brett is a Facilities Project Manager with Brookshires, where he manages renovations, new builds, and joint partnership additions at company stores across Texas, Oklahoma, Louisiana and Arkansas. Michala is a Director of Finance with Ardent Health Services, the parent company of UT Health East Texas. She oversees the Net Revenue of UT Health, as well as the Amarillo, Kansas, and Idaho markets.

 

Along with their black lab (Leia) and two cats (Sylvester and Theodore), rounding out the rest of their household is eight-year-old Ben, three-year-old Kyle, and one-year-old Brooke. Ben is a third-grader at Jack Elementary, and Kyle and Brooke attend Stepping Stone School. For the Ashleys, the activities never stop. “Between work, school, and ballparks, we are constantly on the go, living out of our car, shuffling between Faulkner, D-BAT, and Lindsey Park, leaving a trail of Cheerios and Goldfish crumbs in our wake” says Michala. With Ben being active in so many sports, Brooke and Kyle have become the definition of “feral ballpark siblings,” a beautiful chaos the Ashleys so love. Kyle enjoys gymnastics, Hot Wheels monster trucks, puzzles, and has a deep passion for naming dinosaur species and locating mud puddles. Brooke is an avid fan of Ms. Rachel, her best friend Ayla from across the street, and every stuffed animal in existence. “She is so doted on by the boys in her family, so the princess complex has already started,” Michala says.

 

Even with all their busyness, the Ashleys try to capitalize on every moment they can spend together. “Some of our most precious memories come from silly game nights where we hang around the house or evenings sitting around our firepit,” Michala says. They have a family condo in Hot Springs, Arkansas and hunting land past Noonday, both of which they love to escape to on those “insanely rare weekends with nothing planned.” Living so close to family, the holidays have made Tyler a melting pot for relatives, where “everyone from across the country meets in Tyler and celebrates the season together.” 

 

In seeing how passionate the Ashleys are about their community, it’s no surprise they have a heart of generosity toward Tyler. As you might have read in the February issue, Ben puts his heart into volunteering for Angel Tree and Nicholas Pet Haven. As a Delta Gamma sorority alumni, the philanthropy Service for Sight is near and dear to Michala's heart. While a collegiate, she was VP of Foundation and later became the Alumni Advisor for Foundation for a few years. Brett has coached youth teams in both baseball and soccer, and you can also see him at volunteer stations for the FRESH15 run and the Brookshires golf tournaments. Michala has been "classroom mom" and "team mom" many times over the years, went through the city's Leadership Tyler program, and has volunteered many hours for the University of Texas at Tyler in career and resume building classes.

 

Whether enjoying the community experience of the ballpark, the local walking trails, indoor fun at Grand Slam, or Michala's treat runs at Laurel and Pearl or Crema, the Ashleys deeply appreciate their Oak Creek community. Most especially, they appreciate the people who make Oak Creek, and all of Tyler, so very special. “Words cannot describe our gratitude for our Willow Creek neighbors and the community here in Oak Creek,” Michala says. When Brooke recently experienced a health scare, which Michala calls “one of the scariest moments in [their] lives,” their neighbors rallied in support and aid, and all were integral in getting Brooke through her horrible event unscathed. “We were thrilled to come to Oak Creek for the trees, but our deepest and truest privilege from living here comes from the friendships that we have made within our cul-de-sac and this community.”