DEMOCRACY PROJECT
OF TRANSYLVANIA, Inc.
BOARD MEMBERS
Susan Lefler, MFA. President
has lived in Brevard since 2016. She has written two photographic histories of Brevard, published by Arcadia publishing. They are Brevard: a History. And Brevard: Then and Now. She worked for ten years as a contributing editor and then managing editor of Smoky Mountain Living Magazine. Her poems have appeared in numerous journals. Her first collection of poems, Rendering the Bones (Wind, 2011) won honorable mention in the 2012 Oscar Arnold Young Contest for Book. In January, 2016 she received her Master of Fine Arts degree from Queens University in Charlotte, NC. She is President of Democracy Project of Transylvania, Inc
Jane M. Wheeless, M.ed., Treasurer
is a career educator who has worked as a teacher and administrator in elementary schools. She worked as an elementary school administrator in Virginia and later as an educational consultant and trainer working with teams of teachers and administrators. She is originally from Georgia where she received her undergraduate degree at Wesleyan College and Master of Education degrees from the University of Georgia.
Dr. Carol Gardner, Secretary
served in education her entire career. She has worked in middle and high schools, a district office, a university, and has done consulting with various school districts on focused staff development and maximized instructional time. Getting students actively involved in their own learning has been her most rewarding professional accomplishment. She holds degrees from Brevard College, Florida State University, Western Carolina University, the University of California, and the University of South Carolina.
Dr. Betsy Burrows
Betsy’s interest in Democracy began in 1979 when as a middle school student she wrote an essay about government and won a “Close Up Foundation” trip to Washington, D.C. where she met and shook President Jimmy Carter’s hand. Betsy began her teaching career in the Washington, DC area as a high school English teacher. Currently, she is a Professor and Director of Teacher Education at Brevard College where she helps prepare future teachers for experiential and project-based teaching and learning. Betsy resides on the Board of Directors of the Academy of Educational Studies and over the years has volunteered locally with Rise and Shine, NAACP, and The Mediation Center. She holds degrees in English and Educational Curriculum/Instruction from Wake Forest University, UNC-Chapel Hill, and Western Carolina University.
Alice Wellborn
Alice moved to Transylvania County in 1978 to take a school psychology job in Transylvania County Schools, where she served children and families for 35 years. After retirement, she served on the Board of Education from 2016-2020. Alice has been on many boards and volunteered in many organizations over the years, including Friends of the Library and the NAACP. She is the incoming President for Transylvania County Democratic Women and has recently joined the boards of the Democracy Project and Rise & Shine. Alice is active in the Unitarian church.
Maureen Copelof, M.B.A.
Maureen Copelof served on active duty in the United States Navy for 30 years retiring with the rank of Captain. During her military career she specialized in electronic communications including satellites and navigation systems. After retiring she moved to Brevard where she has been active in numerous organizations including Free Rein, Rise & Shine, NAACP, AAUW, Master Gardeners. She served on the Transylvania County Planning Board for three years and in 2017 was elected to Brevard City Council. She has a BA in religion and an MBA from University of South Carolina and a Masters in Political Science from Auburn University.
