Mr. Ashton, a California native, currently serves as the Harbor Patrol Chief for the Port San Luis Harbor Patrol, a department of 6 sworn peace officers with a 1,028 square nautical mile area of responsibility along the Central Coast. He started his career with the Port in 2011 as a Harbor Patrol Officer and was appointed the Chief in 2017.

Mr. Ashton started his nautical career in the United Stated Coast Guard. He served on both the East and West coast, both on a ship and then at small boat stations along the Central Coast of California. After leaving Active Duty in 2011, he continued service in the Reserves and is currently stationed in Monterey, CA.

In addition to his time with the USCG, he worked for the City of Morro Bay as a Reserve Harbor Patrol Officer prior to starting with Port San Luis.