2025 Mountain Democrat Award
Jesse Ross - Haywood County
Each year, the NC11 Democratic Party honors one individual whose work exemplifies the values, commitment, and spirit of Democrats across Western North Carolina. This award recognizes someone who has shown extraordinary leadership in organizing, visibility, results, service, and impact across the region.
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🎉 Please join us in congratulating JESSE B. ROSS as the 2025 NC 11 Mountain Democrat of the Year! 🎉
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Jesse revitalized youth political engagement in our mountains, reestablishing the Haywood County Young Democrats for the first time since 2010 and working tirelessly to launch or support Young Democrat chapters across Western North Carolina. From Henderson to Madison to Jackson and beyond, Jesse helped grow youth involvement through their role as Western Regional Vice President of the Young Democrats of North Carolina.
When the YDNC Labor Caucus was struggling to survive, Jesse stepped in and rebuilt it from the ground up—growing it from just five members in 2022 to 45 by 2025. Jesse connected young people with labor organizers, elected leaders, and the broader Democratic movement. As a 2024 DNC Delegate, Jesse raised over $5,000 to ensure mountain youth voices were represented on the national stage.
Jesse leads not just with strategy, but with heart. Jesse consistently check in on fellow county leaders, mentor new organizers, and offers encouragement in both public and quiet ways. Thanks to Jesse's vision and support, new leadership has emerged throughout NC 11, including the launch of Madison County Young Democrats, which is now thriving.
Jesse's leadership strengthens not only the party’s infrastructure — but its future.​​ ​
To access the pictures from the 2025 Gala visit these links
Pictures Set 1 and Pictures Set 2
NC11 acknowledges and thanks Paul King for taking such great pictures.
2025 Liston B. Ramsey Awardees
Congratulations to all of the Liston B. Ramsey Award Winners and thank you for all of your hard work in the North Carolina Democratic Party.
Brenden Hipps - Buncombe County
Whether it’s a last-minute need to open HQ, a spontaneous idea for boosting engagement, or a volunteer ready to knock doors outside of any official launch—this person is already on it. They’ve launched canvasses on the fly, responded to random texts and late-night emails, opened and closed the office more times than we can count, and somehow still find time to help set up (and clean up) at events across the county.
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They’ve become our go-to for getting Young Democrats involved, keeping things running smoothly, and offering advice and support to anyone who needs it. And when it came time to make a real impact in 2024, they served as campaign manager for Rep. Lindsey Prather — helping secure one of the key wins that protected Governor Cooper’s veto and broke the Republican supermajority in the NC House.
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This year’s Liston B. Ramsey Award goes to someone who steps up without being asked, solves problems without drama, and leads with heart and hustle. We’re proud to recognize Brenden Hipps.
Fred Bevis - Cherokee County
This dedicated Democrat made a substantial impact on Get Out the Vote efforts in Cherokee County in 2024, leading one of the largest rural voter mobilizations in Western North Carolina. As the county canvassing leader, he played a pivotal role in energizing the local electorate. His commitment to voter engagement spans back to 2008, with longstanding involvement in GOTV initiatives through his 50 years as a union member and the Florida AFL-CIO. He is also affiliated with the International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees. As an interesting side note, he has worked on the set of the Wheel of Fortune TV show and the movie Edward Scissorhands.
He and his wife, Diane, relocated to western North Carolina to be closer to family and escape the traffic, heat, and “disastrous DeSantis policies in Florida.” They saw joining the local Democratic Party as an excellent way to get involved in their new community and connect with others. As our newly elected 1st Vice Chair, he looks forward to building on the Cherokee County Democratic Party’s GOTV momentum in future elections. It is my pleasure to announce Fred Bevis as the recipient of Cherokee County’s second Liston B. Ramsey Award.
Catherine Yost - Cherokee County
This remarkable individual is a retired pediatrician who moved to Murphy in 2023. She was first introduced to the Cherokee Democrats through the Tri-County Democratic Women’s Forum, and soon after attended a Cherokee Democratic Party meeting where she quickly found herself chairing the Candidate Search Committee. In January 2024, she stepped up to fill the role of 3rd Vice Chair, seamlessly taking on the many responsibilities of that office as well as chairing several other committees. She has also proven to be an excellent political travel companion for Diane, joining her on trips throughout the state whenever possible.
In addition to her political work, she was named this year’s Rotary Club Member of the Year, and volunteers regularly at Erlanger Hospital in Peachtree and the local food bank. Recently, she stepped down as 1st Vice Chair of the Tri-County Democratic Women in order to serve as our elected 3rd Vice Chair. Her active involvement in various organizations has opened up new opportunities for our party to engage more deeply within our county. It is with great pride that I announce Catherine Yost as one of this year’s recipients of the Cherokee County Dems’ Liston B. Ramsey Award.
Natasha Bright - Haywood County
Natasha Bright is the 2025 Liston B. Ramsey Award Winner for Haywood County. Natasha is a dedicated member of the Haywood County Democratic Party and the broader progressive community. Motivated by the 2016 presidential election, she quickly became involved in grassroots organizing and activism, channeling her energy into meaningful action in the Haywood County Democratic Party.
Her leadership as the Get Out The Vote (GOTV) Coordinator for Haywood County Democrats during the Kamala Harris presidential campaign highlighted her ability to energize and mobilize volunteers, boosting voter turnout and engagement. She worked tirelessly-- motivating all of us, collaborating with the Coordinated Campaign and offering never-ending enthusiasm. Drawing on her professional background in Internet Marketing, Natasha brought strategic insight and technical skills to her political work, helping to craft and amplify campaign messages. We could not have increased voter turnout and carried precincts in Haywood County for Governor Josh Stein and presidential candidate Kamala Harris without her.
Natasha has served as Precinct Chair for both Waynesville East and East Fork precincts. After the disruptions of COVID-19, she helped reorganize and modernize the Haywood Democratic Women by building a new website, setting up a Mailchimp account for streamlined email communication, and creating a dedicated Google Drive to improve collaboration and document sharing. They are an active auxiliary today.
Beyond her work with the party, Natasha has actively supported the community through volunteering with local non-profits and aiding recovery efforts following Tropical Storm Helene.
Laura Bannister - Henderson County
This year Henderson County honors Laura Bannister, and her consistent dedication, to not only the Democratic Party, but a dedication to fight for her fellow human beings and their basic rights. What she has done has made a difference in this world and we are ever so grateful that we have her as a leader in our community. A few of her accomplishments:
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Her first foray into organized politics was in 1993 as campaign manager for Jay Fisette, who ran as the first openly gay man to run in Arlington County, VA, County Board. He won the primary but lost the general.
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She was the logistical director for AIDSwalk Washington in 1994-95, where they raised over $7M to build an AIDS clinic in northern VA.
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Laura says being at the right place at the right time brought her into Hillary & Bill Clinton’s home in 1999 when they left the White House and she worked as their landscaper and “right hand girl” for the next 16 years.
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After moving to WNC, she campaigned diligently for Hillary in 2016, where she says she found the good people of Henderson County Democratic Party.
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Laura served as 2nd vice chair in HCDP in 2017, and was the charter president of the LGBTQ Democrats of Henderson County, which later evolved into Hendersonville Pride.
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As President, Laura developed the first Pride Day in Hendersonville in June 2019, and finally gained acknowledgment and received a proclamation from Hendersonville City Council. Laura helped develop with others what has turned into a major event for the LGBTQ community in WNC, and continues to draw a large crowd to our festivals.
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As Events Coordinator for HCDP, she has planned parades, candidate meet ‘n’ greets, holiday parties, picnics, and events large and small.
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Laura has been precinct chair of Pisgah View for six years, all while serving as president of their 82-household HOA.
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Most recently, Laura has organized and executed several large events to protest our current President to which she says, "These activities help me to feel like I’m contributing something to his ultimate demise."
Laura is also happily married to her dear wife, Cindy, whom she met while recruiting captains for AIDSwalk in 1992.
On a personal note, Laura Bannister is so much more than her accomplishments, but a whole vibe unto itself. Laura's upbeat personality and determination is infectious, and the Henderson County Democratic Party would not be what it has become today without her influence.
Adam Tebrugge - Jackson County
​Adam Tebrugge lit the campaign trail on fire last year as our District 50 NC Senate candidate! He energized audiences and riled up voters. Adam made everyone better, from the other candidates to the people canvassing to the poll greeters. Nobody, and we mean NOBODY, worked harder than Adam. Throughout the campaign season Adam was traveling and campaigning in every Western NC County. He probably needed a new set of tires for his truck! If Democrats are going to take back rural America from the Republicans, then we need people like Adam that are willing to reach out to listen and to show that Democrats are working for the Middle Class.
Adam is active in his precinct, serving as the Precinct Chair and he has continued to organize the precinct and engage his community since the election. He has the unique talent of being approachable, knowledgeable, and friendly while giving off that “guy next door” vibe.
Adam Tebrugge was born in Tampa, Florida. He earned a bachelor's degree from the New College of Florida in 1982 and a law degree from the Florida State University College of Law in 1984. His career experience includes working as an attorney and professor. Adam and his wife, Regina, relocated to North Carolina in the spring of 2017, settling in Cullowhee. Actively involved in the community, Adam has been affiliated with organizations like Friends of Panthertown, the Community Table, Cleaning up the Mountains, and Calliope Stage.
Adam continues to be a visible presence, attending county meetings and events throughout the region. Adam was instrumental in the success of the Cherokee County Democratic Party’s Rally for the Constitution, securing a band and a speaker system, and also serving as our emcee for the day. Western North Carolina benefits greatly from his ongoing support, both during and after elections. We are proud to present Adam Tebrugge as one of our Ramsey Award Winners.​
Cheryl Stern Clark - Jackson County
In the Spring of 2023, we had no idea how blessed we were when Cheryl Clark walked into our Jackson County Democratic Headquarters in Sylva. New to calling Sylva home, but not new to the area, as Cheryl spent long summers in Sylva as a child with her grandmother, she and her husband, Kevin, were excited there was an active Democratic Party in our little town. They wanted to volunteer.
Cheryl, a gifted graphic artist by profession, also possessed a magnetic personality and energy that drew people to her. Friendly, funny and extremely intelligent, she quickly saw areas where her skills could help us promote our Democratic philosophy and mission. Hard working and dedicated, Cheryl became the “go to” person to promote local and State candidates and events of all kinds with her extraordinary graphic designs. Cheryl designed every billboard and newspaper ad we ran in 2024. She created designs for wearables, pins, buttons, and nametags for the Democratic Women’s group. She also gave practical support for videos on social media and TV ads during the election.
Cheryl was co-vice president of DWJC and third vice chair of JCDP.
Along with the gifts Cheryl possessed, she also suffered with a lifelong heart condition. In May of this year, Cheryl sought surgery at the Mayo Clinic to rectify her malfunctioning heart. Sadly, this surgery was not successful, and we lost Cheryl May 8th.
Along with her family and friends, we are heart broken.
Cheryl was a force of Life. Her impact in such a short time was significant. Her character and work ethic are irreplaceable. Therefore, we award Cheryl Stern Clark the 2025 Liston B. Ramsey Award.
Annette Bell - Macon County
If you have been tasked with finding someone to coordinate your local Headquarters, you know what a challenge that can be!
Annette Bell has managed our Headquarters for Macon County for the past three election cycles - since 2020. That translates to three locations and therefore three different sets of challenges such as layout, parking, volunteers etc.
Annette was born and raised in Bryson City, NC. She has been married to Terry Bell (another wonderful Democrat) for 53 years and they have 2 sons and 5 grandsons. She lived in Haywood County for 5 years after college and then settled in Macon County in 1978. Her career has included working with Haywood Savings and Loan, 24 years with Nantahala Power and Light and Duke Energy Corporation.
A lifelong Democrat, Annette has worked with the Macon County Democratic Party for over 3 decades, served on the local Board of Elections, served as a Precinct worker and served as a county and district delegate.
People who know Annette best would likely rapidly praise her for her tireless efforts and unwavering commitment to the Party’s activities at the Headquarters, acknowledging her leadership style and calm nature.
Macon County’s Democratic Party is so appreciative of ‘our’ Annette who has set a great example for us all and we are excited to be recognizing her with the Ramsey award!
Gary St. Arnauld - Macon County
The Macon NC County Democratic Party is proud to nominate Gary St. Arnauld for the 2024 Liston B. Ramsey Award. Gary has served as the Chair of the Macon Democratic Party since 2019. Born in New
Hampshire Gary became active as a Democratic Party volunteer and supporter early in his life and has continued to be an avid supporter wherever his work and life has taken him. Fortunately, he and his wife Judy decided to re-locate from Jacksonville, FL to Franklin after retirement about eight years ago.
Once in Franklin, Gary quickly became a leader in the men’s Democratic group, a precinct and Party officer. He also became active in the community outside of politics, through his church, as a Rotarian and an AVID pickleball player. Gary’s gregarious, congenial personality, his enthusiasm and knowledge of all things political soon led him to make contacts with local politicians and influential people on the District and State level. These contacts have enabled him to help facilitate bringing more candidates to Macon County and WNC for fundraising and awareness events, many for the first time. Gary has mentored many volunteers in the use of Vote Builder as a tool for voter outreach. Under his leadership he focused on, and implemented a GOTV campaign which resulted in substantially increasing voter turnout in Macon County during the 2020 and 2022 elections. Gary is SO good with numbers, projections, and polling that we consider him to be the “Steve Kornacki” of Western North Carolina.
Bruce and Cindy Frost - Madison County
Bruce and Cindy Frost have been part of the backbone of the Madison County Democratic Party for decades. Together, the two of them have faithfully shown up, worked behind the scenes, made phone calls, recruited members, distributed campaign signs, and represented Madison County at North Carolina Democratic Party events. As a part of their service and commitment Bruce and Cindy have stood up for a better future for the county and region, advocating for everyone to have access to healthcare, a quality education, the right to vote, a thriving wage, a voice in government, and an equal chance to live with purpose and abundance.
The professional involvements of both Bruce and Cindy have also revolved around serving Madison County. Bruce has cared for our pets through his Madison County Animal Clinic since 1987, practicing veterinary medicine with devotion to both the county and his patients. Cindy has served the community and students at Mars Hill University through her work in the Community for Christian Ministries, Campus Ministry, and in the Bonner Scholar Program – a program where she nurtured students helping them discover their own career journeys through community service with local nonprofits, including national and international opportunities for
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Last year Cindy gave her time serving as treasurer for Judy Major’s campaign for County Commissioner, and now is devoted to becoming Madison Dems’ database guru, with the hope that in some small way, she will help Madison Dems flip some seats in the next election.
Because of his passion for veterinary medicine, Bruce continues to care of our pets, while his veterinary practice serves as campaign sign central in Mars Hill.
We are all stronger and better because of Bruce and Cindy’s commitment to Madison County Democrats and the larger Democratic Party!
Elizabeth Gibbs - McDowell County
Elizabeth Gibbs is the warm, welcoming face you’ll see at nearly every McDowell County Democratic event — always smiling, always pitching in, and often gently convincing others to do the same.
After retiring from her statewide role as a literacy consultant with the NC Department of Public Instruction, Dr. Gibbs jumped into Democratic organizing with heart and purpose. She’s served as both 2nd and 1st Vice Chair of McDems, bringing energy, structure, and dedication to every task.
Elizabeth recruits and organizes volunteers tirelessly, never asking anyone to do what she’s not already doing herself — registering voters, poll greeting, poll observing, cutting turf for canvassing and phone banking, postcard writing, or staffing a table at community events like Juneteenth Freedom Festival and Mountain Glory Festival. She helped grow our active volunteer base through weekly Zoom meetings and newsletters and now chairs the committee recruiting Democratic election officials for the Board of Elections.
Elizabeth also edits our BlueView newsletter, and serves on numerous committees — including rally safety, podcast, and the headquarters search. She’s chair of the NAACP Political Action Committee and a McDem steady presence at local Board of Elections meetings.
Last year, after the illness and passing of our chair, Elizabeth stepped in without hesitation to help carry the work forward. She led with steadiness, compassion, and a deep commitment to our shared values. She leads with grace, good humor, and unwavering commitment — and we’re lucky to have her.
Rev. Wanda Hunt - Mitchell County
The Honorable Wanda H. Hunt
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Rev. Wanda Hunt has a long history in Democratic Party politics that started in the Young Democrats when she was in college at age 18. She attended Appalachian State University.
In addition to serving in various Democratic precinct/county positions in Moore County, Hunt was elected and served in the North Carolina Senate from 1983 to 1991. She was involved with the: House-Senate Women’s Caucus; National Conference of State Legislatures; American Council of Young Political Leaders; Democratic Women of North Carolina; and, the Miami-Caribbean Conference. Her senatorial duties led her to come to know and work with House Speaker Liston Ramsey on a variety of issues. Hunt has attended many Democratic precinct meetings, county and district conventions (as a representative of Moore or Mitchell Counties) over the years and was a delegate to the 1988 Democratic National Convention in Atlanta, GA. She has worked on countless campaigns over the years ranging from Terry Sanford to Rachel Hunt and Elaine Marshall.
Her life has been one of service because she is an ordained minister and chaplain in the United Church of Christ. She has served churches in North Carolina and Wuppertal, Germany. She has been engaged in clinical pastoral education and pastoral leadership development.
Hunt has had a distinguished career and received numerous awards some of which include The Order of the Long Leaf Pine and the Golden Mountaineer.
Rev. Hunt has one daughter, three grandchildren, seven great grandchildren, and one grand dog.
The Mitchell County Democratic Party is honored to put forth the nomination of Rev. Wanda h. Hunt for the Liston B. Ramsey Award.
MaryK Buranosky - Swain County
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MaryK's political biography is too long and storied to give it the treatment it deserves, so we're going to focus on her achievements over the past year. This time last year MaryK was serving as a member of Swain County Board of Elections. She was instrumental in supporting our new elections director as he found his feet and brought Swain County through a tumultuous election year. She served as the liaison between the board and the county party, keeping us up to date on GOP skullduggery.
MaryK played a vital role in protecting Swain County voters from inJustice Griffin's attempt to steal an election. She was instrumental in brokering a Pizza Peace Accord among the political parties of Swain County. The Swain County Board of Election provides workers breakfast and lunch, but not dinner. Seemed to us that having the people responsible for the fate of democracy running on fumes at the end of the day wasn't the best plan so the Dems offered to donate pizzas. Out of an abundance of caution MaryK mediated conversations between the GOP and Independents to avoid future allegations that Dems had bought the election with pizza. When the talks stalled MaryK convinced the board to sponsor pizza for the election workers.
This year MaryK, along with others, has revived the Swain County chapter of Indivisible and supported our community in delivering historic public turn out at local protest events. She helped make NoKings the largest political protest in Bryson City history (so far as we know). MaryK always has an eye on the crowd, a finger on the pulse, and a heart full of compassion driving her to make her community a better place. She is a warrior for Democracy and we're lucky to have her.
Ian Cowie - Transylvania County
Ian Cowie served the Transylvania County Democratic Party with skill and enthusiasm. As Third Vice Chair he trained an ever growing number of phonebankers, even learning how to record with his screen to ensure interested phonebankers could be trained anytime!
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Ian, alongside a team of equally skilled writers, wrote well researched, poignant, and persuasive columns for the TCDP in the Transylvania Times. These articles addressed the most pressing issues from the local to national levels. These articles always skillfully laid out why electing Democrats is the best way forward for all Americans, and had the data to prove it!
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If something needed to be done Ian jumped into the job with enthusiasm to get it done, playing a big part in pulling off the biggest Freedom Fest to date!
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Ian was an invaluable part of the TCDP Executive Board, playing a key role in moving Transylvania Blue, a trend we intend to continue!
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Ian continues to serve Transylvania County through his work with the local NAACP, working with the TCDP to coordinate the largest demonstrations our County has seen yet!
Ian's contributions, and enthusiasm have materially contributed to the strength of the Democratic Party in Transylvania County, and he continues to serve his community with precision and skill.
Crystal Letterman Capps - Yancey County
Yancey County proudly nominates Crystal Letterman Capps for the Liston B. Ramsey NC11 Democrat Award. A dedicated public servant, Crystal led as County Chair from 2021 to 2023 and continues her work as one of our SEC members. Her leadership became a lifeline when Hurricane Helene devastated Western North Carolina—she mobilized support across the state, assisted neighbors directly, and helped coordinate critical relief. She now serves on the Appalachian Disaster Recovery Board, continuing her service well beyond the immediate crisis.
Crystal has also been instrumental in holding our current Republican leadership accountable—ensuring that state and federal representatives not only show up to community events but stay, listen, and engage beyond the usual photo ops. Her commitment to Yancey County transcends party lines; she shows up for the people, every time. Crystal defines what it means to put Democratic values into action—with grit, grace, and an unwavering focus on the common good.
District 11 sends a heartfelt thank you to these dedicated Democrats
and to all WNC democrat volunteers working hard to save Democracy.
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Thank you all.