09/02/2026
The Boone County DEC is proud to announce the 2026 Boone County Democrat of the Year — Jerry Brown!
Boone County's Democrat of the Year is Jerry Brown. Born in 1958 to Hersie and Lucille (Stollings) Brown, Jerry was the oldest of what would be six children.
Seeking stability and a better life for their family, Hersie and Lucille moved their family to the community of Ramage along Rt. 17 in 1965. The following year, tragedy struck and they lost Hersie to an automobile accident on Blair Mountain. Young Jerry grew up quickly and helped his family. Those who know him say they can’t remember him not working. His mother’s goal for all 6 children to graduate high school was achieved and when Jerry became the first, he immediately went to work as a UMWA coal miner at Eastern Associated. He gives credit to his success in that career to his mentor Ivan (and Peggy) Puckett.
In 1978, he married his wife Katrina (White). They settled in Madison and have two children, Justin (a teacher) and Holly (an RN), who both serve their communities in Tennessee. Following his retirement, he took a new job with Summit Engineering which led to an opportunity to lobby the state legislature. For the last 8 years, he has served as the Town Manager of Danville.
When asked, “What does being a Democrat mean to you?”, Jerry’s response was immediate. “To me, the Democrats are the ones for the working person and the less fortunate. This November 2, I’ll be a 50 year UMWA member. The Democrats support the working folk.”
When his 2nd cousin ran for the Senate (2021 BC DOY Ron Stollings), Jerry worked to help him get elected. He proudly displays a photo in his office of the two beside a 1983 painting by Boone County’s own Robert Prichard titled “Worked Out”. An old miner sits on his porch with a shuttered mine in the background, with a copy of the Coal Valley News at his feet. The headline reads, “Black Lung Legislation Now Awaited”. Brown noted how, despite the amount of time passed, the struggle remains. His father in law, Robert “Bob” White, was also a mentor and lifelong UMWA member. He remembers Bob saying, “Jerry, we’ll have to lose it all before people realize how important the union is…”
Jerry is committed to helping the party of the working people make strides for workers everywhere, but especially here at home in West Virginia’s Southern Coalfields. This along with his patient and consistent efforts, (both on social media and out in the community), to inform voters on how current policies are impacting daily life are just a highlight into the reasons he was selected unanimously this year as our Democrat of the Year.
