I’m running for the WV State Democratic Committee to advocate for:

  • early and consistent training for our candidates

    • We must ensure folks have access to helpful training from the moment they decide to run.

    • Options should be available with geography and district demographics in mind.

  • fostering the next generation of Democratic leaders

    • We must encourage young and first-time volunteers and activists to get involved.

    • We must listen to young voters; not tell them what to think.

    • We should NEVER dissuade a young person from running for office or applying for a vacancy.

  • a diverse and inclusive leadership team for the WVDP

    • Our party leadership, caucus leaders, and staff much be inclusive and representative of the diversity of our WVDP. This diversity should include geography, age, gender identity, ethnicity and racial background, sexual orientation, religion, and professional background.

My biographical, professional, and civic background:

  • Deep roots in the community and party

    • My family has called Jefferson County home since 1801 and I have lived here my entire life.

    • Third generation member of the Jefferson County Democratic Committee (Herbert Everhart, my grandfather, was briefly Party Chair in the 1960s and my mother, Mary Everhart Koonce, served on the Committee, as well.)

    • Outgoing Jefferson County Democratic Party Chair, former Jefferson County Democratic Association Secretary and Vice-President, and former WV Democratic County Chairs Association Chair.

  • Varied professional experience both in WV and beyond

    • I have worked as a development director, bookseller, non-profit organizer, political organizer, freelance journalist, private tutor, and corporate trainer.

    • I’m a “Rockefeller alum,” having served as a Congressional intern for former US Senator Jay Rockefeller.

    • I’ve authored several books, including one chronicling the political history of Jefferson County from 2000-2020.

  • Active in multiple civic organizations around Jefferson County

    • I’m entering my tenth year as a Department Superintendent for the Jefferson County Fair.

    • I’ve been unanimously appointed to the Jefferson County Historic Landmarks Commission three different times and am currently serving my second stint as Secretary.

    • Over the last two decades I have been involved, held membership, or currently hold membership in many organizations, including the Shepherdstown Kiwanis Club, Relay for Life, the Alpha Kappa Gamma Chapter of Sigma Tau Delta, the Jefferson County NAACP, the Jefferson County Historical Society, and the Wizard Clip Garden Club.