Ellen Frost is a small business owner, a mother, and a grandmother running for Buncombe County Commission to represent District 2, which includes the communities of Black Mountain, Fairview, Weaverville, Swannanoa, Barnardsville, and parts of Leicester.
She has served on a number of community boards and is currently Chair of the Mimi Paige Foundation, whose mission is to significantly reduce the number of unwanted dogs and cats in Western North Carolina through education. Ellen’s daughter Liz is a cardiac intensive care nurse at Mission Hospital. Liz’ ten-year-old daughter Alexis (“Lexi”) is the apple of Ellen’s eye, and they spend as much time together as possible. Ellen has also been active in many political campaigns, working to elect Barack Obama to the presidency, for David Gantt’s successful bid to become Buncombe County Commission Chair in 2008, and for Black Mountain Alderman Don Collins, the top vote-getter in the 2011 municipal race.
In her own words:
“The main reason that I love working with the folks in Buncombe County and why I hope to serve them on the County Commission is the wonderful spirit of connectivity that I feel everywhere I go. If you show you are ready to roll up your sleeves and work, you will be rewarded tenfold . One of my strongest memories of that spirit comes from the aftermath of the devastating floods of 2004: Standing shoulder to shoulder handing out water with neighbors as well as strangers, and working with volunteers to care for dogs seized from a local puppy mill. Folks here really don’t care where you have come from or how long you have been here. They will welcome you if they know you are here because of a love of our mountains, heritage and wonderful way of life.”
“I think our current Board of Commissioners is doing a very good job keeping us heading in the right direction, especially considering the challenges of a down economy . The inroads they have made in job creation have kept Buncombe’s unemployment rate among the lowest in the state, and their efforts in land conservation have helped protect the natural beauty that we all cherish. I believe that my experience in running a small business will make me a great addition to this board since I have always been able to bring folks together on what they can agree on and diminish differences.”
The nasty partisanship that seems to have taken over government and politics lately serves no one. I believe in the greater good in human nature. I am a realistic optimist: Building consensus around common ideas is the only way that any organization or community can move forward, but sometimes it takes work and patience to find that common ground. I think it is helpful to pause and remember that the child without enough food to eat is someone’s son, and the senior without enough money for medicine is someone’s grandmother. Empathy helps us make better choices. However, I am fiscally conservative and favor a hand up instead of a handout whenever possible.”
“I look forward to serving Buncombe County and will bring to the Commission common sense principles that have guided my life. The issues we face are not about Democrats or Republicans- They are the challenges that all of us face .
”We need to remember how lucky we are to live in this wonderful place, and we must preserve it and our way of life for generations to come. At the end of the day, this is what I want for my daughter Liz, my granddaughter Lexi, and for your family too.”
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Paid for by Ellen Frost for Buncombe Committee
Portrait Photography by Suzie Boatright, photographybysuzie.smugmug.com
Website by Eljapa Media Group, Asheville, NC
