HILL COUNTY DEMOCRATIC PARTY

BRISTER NAMED DEMOCRATIC COUNTY CHAIR

PRESS RELEASE
for Thursday, October 22, 2009

BRISTER NAMED DEMOCRATIC COUNTY CHAIR

In a quarterly meeting of the Executive Committee of the Hill County Democratic Party on October 13, Hillsboro resident Ernest Brister was named as County Chair, succeeding Will Lowrance who resigned for health reasons. Brister and his wife Patricia live in Hillsboro with their grandson, Willie, and attend Central Baptist Church.

Brister has deep roots in Hill County, including grandparents Harry Gant and Mary Lee Brister. His father, E. L. Brister was born here, along with his uncle Donald Ray Brister, who died while serving in the USAF. Patricia's parents farm just east of Hillsboro.

The new chair has a long history of involvement in the Democratic Party: He is a member of the local PAC, Democrats of Hill County, and a sustaining member of the Texas Democratic Party. Brister also is a life member of the Reserve Officers Association and Delta Sigma Pi, international business fraternity.

Brister was raised in Fort Worth and graduated from Technical High School (now Trimble Tech), Tarrant County College (AAS '75) and the University of Texas at Arlington (BBA '77) He enlisted in the US Army Reserve while in high school, received a commission as 2nd Lieutenant from UTA, served in Viet Nam, and retired as Lieutenant Colonel in 1988.

He was elected Legislative Representative for UTU local 564 and served many years as precinct chair for the Democratic Party. He has served as delegate to county and state conventions, and in 1988 was a delegate to the National Democratic Convention in Atlanta. Twice he has serve as Senatorial convention chair and served in 2008 as a delegate from Hill County to the Texas State Democratic Convention.

After his unanimous selection, Brister expressed appreciation to outgoing Chair Will Lowrance and Secretary Betty Lowrance for their years of leadership and service to the Democratic Party in Hill County. Brister indicated that he was looking forward to working with the Executive Committee in building the base of the Democratic Party in Hill County and in promoting the historic values and principles of the Democratic Party.