The Pasco Democrats Monthly Meeting with Guest speaker Jennifer Frazier of the Creative Stable who spoke of the importance of Social Media in getting your message out to the community. The meeting was held on Monday, January 9, 6:30pm to 8:00pm, located at USEP, Union Hall, 21322 Lake Patience Road, Land O' Lakes, FL 34638. Over 50 people were in attendence, 20 of them for the very first time. The Pasco County Democrats meet the 2nd Monday of every month at the USEP Union Hall. 21322 Lake Patience Rd., Land O Lakes, FL.

From The Pasco Democrats Club:

We are pleased to announce the results of the Pasco Democratic Party Executive Committee election for 2017 officers. The following were all elected unanimously:

Michael Ledbetter - Chair

Karen Ford - Vice Chair

Beverly Ledbetter - Secretary

Michael Weinert - Treasurer

Jocelyn Dickman - State Committeewoman

John Ford – State Committeeman

Michael Ledbetter is a University of South Florida Distinguished Alumni Recipient who lives in the Dade City area. A former Pasco County Commissioner and Chairman of the Tampa Bay Regional Planning Council, he represented Pasco and the Florida 5th Congressional District as a delegate to the 2012 Democratic National Convention. Michael owns a consulting business and has served as Pasco State Committeeman. He was first elected Chair in 2014.

Karen Ford is a graduate of Katherine Gibbs. Originally from Connecticut, she also lived in New York and Pennsylvania. In 2009 she moved to Florida and became actively engaged in politics. She was a Neighborhood Team Leader for OFA in 2010. A founding member of the Trinity Democratic Club, she was instrumental in organizing the club and is currently its Secretary. In 2013 she played a key role in the successful campaign of Amanda Murphy in the special election in HD 36. Karen then became District Secretary to Representative Murphy. In 2014 after leaving the legislative office, Karen was Field Director for the reelection campaign of Rep. Murphy and pivotal in getting out the vote.

Beverly Ledbetter is a career educator, 1975 to 2011 with the Pasco County Schools and since 2011 with Saint Leo University. Beverly is a strong supporter of unions - a lifelong member of the Florida Education Association and the United School Employees of Pasco. Beverly served as a building rep for USEP and was a former Vice President of PCTA. She has lobbied with the Working Families Lobby Corps in Tallahassee. Beverly was a charter member of the East Pasco Democratic Club having served as secretary and president. She serves on the advisory boards of Saint Leo University's Undergraduate Program, the Gus Stavros Economic Center at USF, and is the present chair of the James Irvin Educational Center Advisory Board. Beverly is also a member of Pasco NOW.

Michael Weinert started his involvement in politics volunteering to lobby in the Connecticut state house as a citizen & member of a local environmental group, eventually joining the Ellington CT Democratic Committee, and served on the Ellington Water Pollution Control Authority as chairman. After moving to New Port Richey in 1999, Mike became involved in Boy Scouts becoming a Scout Master. After getting involved in the 2012 & 2014 campaigns he became a member of the Trinity Democratic Club & Pasco DEC in 2015. Currently Mike works for American Airlines as an Aircraft Mechanic, and as an independent Real Estate Appraiser. Mike is also a Committeeman for the IAMAW machinist’s union.

Jocelyn Dickman has a Master’s Degree in Gerontology from the University of South Florida. She was elected to the position of State Committeewoman in 2010 and since 2013 has served on the Florida Democratic Party's Rules and Judicial Committees. She was also Vice Chair of the FDP Platform committee. Jocelyn has served as a Regional Director for the Florida LGBTA Democratic Caucus since 2010. Jocelyn is a born Democrat--her parents had her working on a campaign for a Democratic candidate.

John Ford grew up in New York City. He is a graduate of Queens College with a major in Political Science. After a successful career in retail management, John and his wife retired to Trinity. John served as a volunteer in the 2012 presidential campaign and was a founding member of the Trinity Democratic Club as well as its first president. He was elected State Committeeman in 2014 and reelected in 2016. John is also currently involved in several civic associations in Pasco County.

About Pasco Democrats:

Join our committed team as we work on turning Pasco blue. All Democrats welcome. Have fun, meet like-minded people, and see what we can accomplish together. For more information on the Pasco Democratic Party, visit pascodems.com. Follow us on facebook.com/PascoDemocrats/ and Twitter @PascoDems.