W. Ross Ashley, III, joined KPMG as a Solutions Relationship Director in April 2020. In this capacity, Ross supports several KPMG government initiatives across all government levels. Specific areas of focus include emergency management, preparedness, grants management, and business case development for major government programs and procurements.

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Previously, Ross served as the Founding Executive Director of the National Fusion Center Association (NFCA), representing the interests of Department of Homeland Security (DHS) recognized fusion centers. Ross also served on the board of advisors to numerous corporate clients advising in the areas of emergency management, grants administration, homeland security, justice, defense, and intelligence.

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The United States Senate confirmed Ross in December 2007, and he became the Assistant Administrator of the FEMA Grant Programs Directorate (GPD). Ross managed over $10.1B across 53 federal grant programs in this position and was the only DHS Senate-confirmed individual asked to remain in the Obama administration after the inauguration.

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Before assuming his position at DHS, Ross served as the Chief Executive Officer of the National Children's Center (NCC). During his time with the NCC, Ross led all aspects of the 1,100-employee agency, including medical, residential, and educational services for children and adults with special needs. In this capacity, Ross advised the mayor on preparedness planning for people with developmental disabilities within the greater Washington, DC metro area.

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In February 2000, Ross founded The Templar Corporation. Working with the National Institute of Justice (NIJ), The Templar Corporation began the development of sophisticated data integration solutions with a single purpose: to improve public safety and security agencies' capabilities to share information. Under Ross's leadership, Templar products supported over 100 federal, state, and local government agencies. Ross and his team sold Templar to ChoicePoint in February 2004.

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Ross retired after 20 years of service in the Virginia Air National Guard and the United States Air Force Reserves, where he was activated on many occasions to support response activities within the Commonwealth of Virginia. Ross is also a Red Cross volunteer and most recently performed disaster assessments on St. Thomas and led food and water distribution on St. John following hurricanes Irma and Maria.

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Ross is a distinguished graduate of the Academy of Military Science and holds a B.A. from George Mason University and an M.S. with honors from the National Intelligence University. Ross, his wife Lauren, and their four children reside in Arlington, Virginia.