In his 38 years on television, Dan has reported on a wide range of issues and events that affect our lives, covering stories all over the Bay Area, the country, and the world. Dan reported from Poland on the "March of the Living" with Bay Area holocaust survivors, interviews President Obama at the White House, and reported from Marine Corp basic training at Camp Pendleton in San Diego. Other notable assignments include reporting live from New Hampshire and South Carolina for the state primaries and from Iowa for the state's caucus. He also traveled to Florida to cover Senator John Glenn's return to space and to Peru to report on the El Nino weather phenomenon. In addition to his role as a journalist, Dan is also a dedicated philanthropist, spending considerable time supporting a variety of worthy causes.
One of my professional and personal highlights happened in Washington, a city I know well having spent a great deal of time there as a teenager and young adult. I have been to the White House as a tourist, but never as a reporter. I had that opportunity when I interviewed President Barack Obama in the Diplomatic Reception Room at the White House, the very room where FDR gave his iconic fireside chats. I was able to ask President Obama several questions in a one-on-one interview and then stand in front of the White House, lit up in the darkness, and report our conversation to the Bay Area. It was a remarkable experience for which I am very grateful.
There are also indelible marks made by the tragedies that I have reported from the scene over the years. Reporting from Littleton, Colorado the day after the Columbine High School massacre was a deeply emotional experience. My photographer, Cathy Cavey, was worried about what we would find there. It was such a heart-breaking place to be in the days following that tragedy but, at the same time, it was a privilege to have students, parents, and teachers trust us enough to tell their stories. We were moved to tears by what we saw and heard and we were so honored and touched when they brought us cookies and thanked us for being there. Incredible! I was the only broadcaster able to remain on the air the night Hurricane Hugo slammed into Charleston, South Carolina and the first one able to get back on the air in the hours after it had passed. It was a terrifying night as the wind roared like a freight train through the two-thousand foot transmitting tower directly above me. I could not imagine that the tower would not collapse right on top of us, but somehow it did not fall. Still, even in fear, the crew and I all stayed calm that night and did our best to inform and to comfort our viewers. I learned more about myself and my job in the two weeks after the storm than I had in the previous two years.
All of these magnificent experiences and opportunities and I could not have imagined any of them when I used to watch Walter Cronkite deliver the news each evening with my family. I thought as a teenager that being a journalist must be such an interesting profession, but never really thought about making it my reality until college. But once I got the bug, that's all it took.
When I'm not working, you'll find me in the music studio writing and recording songs or on stage performing with my Americana Rock band, which just goes by my name.
Heard any good music lately? Find me on Facebook and let me know! Or you can send me your ideas on what we should play next! You can also follow me on Twitter.
DAN ASHLEY is anchor of ABC7 News at 5:00, 6:00 & 11:00 p.m.
Dan came to ABC7 in 1995 as the weekday 5:00 p.m. news anchor and investigative reporter. He has received many industry awards, including the prestigious DuPont Columbia Award as well as two Edward R. Murrow Awards for excellence in journalism as well as numerous Emmy Awards for Best Newscast and Individual Reporting.
Dan's distinguished work is also recognized by many other industry organizations, including Associated Press, United Press International, and the Press Club of Atlantic City. He has also received awards from the New Jersey and Atlanta chapters of the Society of Professional Journalists and the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences.
Dan began his television career at WTVD, the ABC owned television station in Durham, North Carolina. He then worked for WCBD-TV, the ABC affiliate in Charleston, South Carolina where he was the 6:00 and 11:00 p.m. anchor and lead investigative reporter.
As an active member of the community, Dan serves on the boards of directors of many worthy organizations including The Commonwealth Club, The Bay Area Red Cross, The Oakland Symphony, CASA (Court Appointed Special Advocates), The Contra Costa County Crisis Center, The First Tee, and is president of the Bammies Music Foundation. Additionally, he hosts the annual "Dan Ashley's Friends of Camp Concord Golf Tournament" which raises money to send under-served youngsters to summer camp. To date, Dan's charity golf tournament has sent more than 10,000 kids to camp, all expenses paid.
Dan also created the non-profit "Rock the CASA Foundation" to raise money through an annual concert to benefit the CASA organization among other charities. Over the years, Dan's charity concert has featured major headliners such as Eddie Money, REO Speedwagon, Cheap Trick, Melissa Etheridge, Patti LaBelle, and Rick Springfield.
Dan was also elected to and serves on the Board of Visitors for the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, his alma mater
Dan is a graduate of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill with degrees in English and Speech Communication.
Dan's Stories
CA Academy of Sciences' Steinhart Aquarium turns 100. Here's a look at its century-long history
Few have actually experienced the century's worth of history at the Steinhart Aquarium. The one exception is Methuselah the Australian Lungfish, believed to be the oldest living aquarium fish in the world at 93 years old.
As wildfire risk increases in Bay Area, communities are building back better with new technology
Wildfire risk is increasing in the Bay Area, but communities are utilizing new technology to build back better as California deals with an unstable insurance market.
Here's how aquafarming could give boost to CA seafood market, kelp population
A number of marine labs in Northern California are growing specimens to help repopulate offshore kelp forests under threat from environmental pressures. We learned more about the process from one of the nation's leading operators.
SF de Young Museum exhibit explores indigenous views on climate change
California indigenous communities offer a unique perspective and urgent warnings about climate change are captured in both moving pictures and still portraits by photographer Kirti Bassendine.
Serial killer convicted of Bay Area murders in 1970s dead at 79
John Arthur Getreu was convicted of the murders of three people -- a high school sophomore in Germany who was raped, and strangled two young women with connections to Stanford.
Film provides immersive look at Bay Area marine sanctuary using 3D camera technology
If you could venture deep into the waters of the Bay Area coast, you'd find a hidden world of magnificent sea creatures and more. It's a protected gem that's also a critical marine habitat.
Camera born in San Francisco bathtub helps to optimize fish farming
It takes a lot of paddling to reach the fjords of Norway from a small bathtub on Telegraph Hill. But for Bay Area entrepreneur Bryton Shang, all it took was the thought of artificial intelligence and fish to make him dive right in.
Bay Area's newest nature preserve is a Cold War relic that bridges wildlife habitats
Coyote Ridge is Santa Clara County's newest open space in the area of a former rocket plant that is home to unique species and provides a critical link for migrating wildlife. Here's a look.
Researchers use underwater technology in Monterey Bay to unlock mysteries of rare octopus garden
Thousands of octopus moms are protecting their newly laid eggs on the ocean floor of the Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary.
UC Berkeley team tests portable harvester device to pull water out of air
The team hopes this portable water harvester can impact populations in the most drought-stricken corners of the planet.