Our Party Officials
Shelley Allen
Chair
Shelley was born in Key West, FL and grew up a Navy brat. She taught elementary school after graduating from Texas A&M. She earned her Ph.D. in reading education from Ohio State, then worked as a research associate and project coordinator at Vanderbilt. After moving to Richmond, VA, she served as a literacy non-profit consultant before returning to teaching as a tutor. Her volunteer experiences include robotics team mentor, PTSA vice president, and policy steering committee parent rep at the regional governor’s school her son attended. She and her husband moved to Holden Beach in 2020. After joining BCDP and working on the communications team, she was elected 1st vice chair in 2021. In 2022 she served as acting chair when the party's chair ran for state office. She is grateful for the amazing Democrats she has the privilege of working with in Brunswick County.
Arthur Hill
1st Vice Chair
Arthur Hill was born in Charlottesville, Virginia. He graduated with a BA in English from the University of Virginia. After three years in the Army, including a year in Vietnam, he worked as a legislative aide and speechwriter for a U.S. senator, a Washington correspondent for several magazines, and a member of the Corporate Communications Department at a major federal agency. In 2014, he moved with his wife, Sherry, to St. James, North Carolina. Since then, he has fulfilled a goal to work as editor and contributor at a small community publication. He co-authored a book published in 2022 on the history of St. James. Arthur also serves as BCDP's Communications Team Chair.
Kristine Garrity
2nd Vice Chair
Kristine was born and raised in New York, but has called North Carolina home for over thirty years. She graduated from Fordham University with a major in philosophy and a minor in math. Before retiring, Kristine was an administrator and program director in non-profit health.
Mike Rush
3rd Vice Chair
Mike Rush was born and raised in Montclair NJ., where he graduated from Montclair High School in 1967. After graduation from high school , he served as a Second Class Petty Officer in the United States Navy from 1967 until 1971 and used his GI Bill Benefits he accumulated from his years of military service to attend Babson College in Wellesley, MA where he graduated with a BS in Business Management in 1975.
Prior to retiring, Mike’s professional background included solution/consultative sales, management, and corporate marketing positions for several Fortune 500 companies in the computer, telecom, and network equipment industries.
Sherry Williams
Secretary
Sherry was born and raised in Spartanburg, SC. She attended Clemson University and graduated from Limestone College, after which she worked in social work. She moved to NC where her children grew up, then went back to school and worked as an art director in an ad agency. After moving to TN, she worked at a PR agency, then started her own business. There, she became involved in politics, where she did creative work for the local and state party and later became Vice Chair of Loudon County Democratic Party. Sherry also serves on the BCDP communications team.
Ed Lewis
Board of Elections Chair
Ed was born in Greenville, NC, and is a graduate of North Carolina A&T State University and Duke University. Ed spent most of his career in the field of computer science, where he developed, tested and managed several software projects for IBM and other companies. This is the fourth term for Lewis, who resides with his wife in St. James.
Paula Clarity
Board of Elections Member
Paula, a resident of Leland, moved to Brunswick County from Long Island, NY, in 2016, is beginning her third term. An attorney who practices estate planning, Clarity served as Leland Precinct Chair and Third Vice-Chair of the County party until 2021, when she was appointed a member of the Brunswick County Board of Elections. While living in New York, Clarity assisted the Suffolk County Democratic Party as a poll observer.
Timothy M. Randall
Board of Elections Member
Timothy, a Brunswick County native, is serving his first term on the BOE. He is a graduate of Brunswick Community College and Greensboro College. He received an MBA from Webster University. Retired from Brunswick Community College, he is currently a first sergeant in the U.S. Army Reserves and a trustee at the Pleasant Grove Missionary Baptist Church. He lives in Calabash.
State Executive Committee Members:
As Party Chair - Shelley Allen
Elected Members:
William (Bill) Flythe
Joanne Levitan
Denise Mirandola
Mike Rush
Janis Simmons
Tom Simmons
District Executive Committee:
Chair - Shelley Allen
1st Vice Chair - Art Hill