Democratic Party of Jeff Davis County
Leadership & Volunteers
Each month this section will focus on a single individual who plays a leadership role in our party, or a dedicated volunteer who contributes much more than they might imagine. That individual may contribute whatever they choose to this page.
Perhaps a biographical sketch, some personal history or background.
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Perhaps what “makes them tick,” why they’re a member of our group, their core values, or the values our party should adopt. Or how they became a Democrat. Or some other contribution.
Focus on Cecilia Riley
This month, our focus is on Cecilia Riley, our Democratic Chair Precinct 1, probably better known as the bird and hummingbird ambassador of Jeff Davis County. We asked Cecilia to help us new arrivals get to know her a little better, and she did not disappoint, as a leader and as a devoted conservation advocate.
This is Cecilia's response:
A Little Self-Bio, and a Little Love of Birds and Our Davis Mountains Home
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Born and raised in what was then rural Fort Worth, I developed a love of nature – spending my after-school hours searching nearby fields and ponds in search of horny toads, big red ants, fence lizards, mosquito fish, and tadpoles.
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It was only natural that as an undergraduate at UT-Arlington, I majored in Biology. On a Summer Field Biology class that took me to the cloud forests of Guatemala, I became enamored with birds and travel. Those colorful tropical birds stole my breath away and do so even today.
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After graduation, I left Texas for three years of graduate school at the University of Arkansas, again with a focus on tropical birds. I was lucky enough to do my field work in Costa Rica, studying colorful toucanets and the tropical fruiting trees they fed on. I received a graduate degree for hanging out in the beautiful cloud forests of Monteverde and birding all day, every day!
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All good things must come to an end, and back in Texas it was time to find a job. I landed a research job at the UT Marine Science Institute focused on coral reef fisheries. Lucky again - I was sent to the coasts of Mexico and Belize to collect reef fishes, return them to the Port Aransas lab where I worked, and rear them in captivity. I loved scuba diving for fish, as well as the people of Latin America, and have continued to travel there most of my life.
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After 10 years of fisheries work, I finally scored a bird job – at the Austin Headquarters of Texas Parks and Wildlife (TPWD). I traveled every inch of my home state developing lists of priority birds and habitats in each ecoregion of Texas. This included Big Bend, where I vowed one day to live in the beautiful Davis Mountains.
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After two years at TPWD, I received a call about a start-up bird conservation initiative focused on the Gulf Coasts of LA, TX, and Mexico - would I like to apply? OMG – birds and tropical forest work - I was game! For this last phase of my career, I became the director of the Gulf Coast Bird Observatory. This was a dream job for 19 years, birding across the US and leading in the permanent protection of 17,000 acres of tropical forests in 10 countries, before my retirement in 2015.
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In early 2016, my husband Mike (a retired chemical engineer) and I moved to Limpia Crossing. Finally, we have our dream retirement life in the Davis Mountains, where we enjoy gathering with our neighbors, gardening for birds, and hiking in the Davis Mountains Preserve. What I appreciate most out here in Far West Texas is the large expanse of undeveloped land, the diversity of the native plant ecosystems, and the fantastic birds - all still here due to the area’s ranching heritage.
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How long will these wonderful expanses remain? Texas is changing rapidly, and population growth is affecting even our rural areas. As a conservation biologist by training and by spirit, I see a need to protect the amazing diversity of life here in the sky islands. Grassland and montane bird species across the SW US are declining. When these birds disappear, their former habitats often are changed as their beneficial place in the ecological process is lost.
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But we can protect birds and their habitats. A few local like-minded people joined together to form Trans-Pecos Bird Conservation (TBC) where I serve as President. TBC is a 501(c)3 organization that provides education, outreach, and support for regional birdlife conservation. Biennially, we host the Davis Mountains Hummingbird Celebration (I serve as volunteer Coordinator) to share fall bird migration with the visiting public. Proceeds from this event help us produce and distribute educational materials and promote the value of birds for all human endeavors. Please visit our website to learn about our activities and accomplishments (transpecosbirds.org).
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As a lifelong Democrat I am pleased to be the Precinct 1 chairperson. I am committed to education, especially environmental education and protecting the health of our environment here in Jeff Davis County and beyond. My core values include wildlife conservation, education for all, clean air and water for all, and fair elections for all.
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History is rewarding. In May, our focus will be on another Jeff Davis County Democratic Party leader or underappreciated volunteer. If you would like to suggest someone, please message us. And stay tuned.
Leadership & Volunteers Previous Posts
Focus on Beth Francell
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This month, our focus is on Beth Francell, our Secretary, well known to all, and former Jeff Davis County Democratic Party Chair. We asked Beth to help us new arrivals understand a little more about the history of our county Democratic Party, and all the juicy tidbits.
This is Beth's response:
A Little History of My Family and the Jeff Davis County Democratic Party
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My mother’s family, as far as I know, were long-time Democrats. They were grateful to FDR for saving ranchers during the Great Depression. A federal program paid ranchers to reduce their herds when there was little market for beef and no grass to feed them due to drought. The Espy family moved to Fort Davis from San Saba in the 1880s. My great grandmother Lena Espy and her husband Walter Miller traveled in a covered wagon with my two-year-old grandfather following the earlier immigration of her Espy family.
Espy Miller and his wife Lucy began buying the Holland Ranch around 1925 from OC Finley through the Federal Land Bank. The ranch, ten miles west of Valentine, contains an old stone fort that helped the Cavalry protect the border from Pancho Villa. It is in the Sierra Vieja Mountains range and has permanent springs. The ranch is partly in Presidio County and partly in Jeff Davis County, but Espy Millers have always used Jeff Davis as their home county. In partnership, Espy and his brother Keesey Miller purchased the Miller Ranch from Otis Kimball in 1935.
My Aunt Jody Miller held the position of Democratic County Chair for probably 35 years beginning about 1965. Barry Scobee preceded Jody in the job. Larry and I moved to Fort Davis from Fort Worth in 1997. Sometime in 2000 Jody approached me about assuming her job. I was honored to follow her long experience, knowledge, and dedication.
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Jody said that procedures were changing and everything was going digital. Jody was computer literate, but she was 75 (my age this year), and learning a whole new set of rules was not appealing. Attending the Secretary of State’s training in Austin for all County Chairs gave me a great start in learning the job. This training, given in the fall every two years, brings all County Chairs, Democrat and Republican, up to date on changes in state election law and procedures, so they are prepared for the election year ahead. You also meet the Democratic Candidates for state offices and the leaders of our Texas Democratic Party.
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In this part of Texas all candidates ran as Democrats regardless of how they thought. The first person to break that rule was Tom Roberts in 2002, who ran for Sheriff as a Republican and won. Since then, a Republican majority slowly grew to 60% of voters in Fort Davis today. Nixon’s “Southern Strategy” had worked across the South, dividing voters over race and integration. In my early life, the “Drug Store” was the place the “powers that be” gathered to discuss politics, which at that time were conservative Democratic politics.
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I enjoyed being County Chair, but after 20 years, I wanted to do other things with my remaining years, such as writing and art. When I was in college at UT-Austin in the late 60s, I double majored in History and Political Science and got a teaching certificate. I worked in education and historic preservation, and then moved into Landscape Design with coursework from UT-Arlington in the 90s. In this field I used my love of plants, drawing and design. I ran a design/build landscape company in the tri-counties for 20 years.
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I have always felt more kinship with the Democratic Party and its values. I hope to see a Democratic majority return and continue to support our democratic system of government. My desire is to help mitigate the effects of climate change, overpopulation, and the destruction of 60% of land and ocean species on the earth for the remainder of my life.
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History is rewarding. In April, our focus will be on Cecilia Riley, our Precinct 1 Democratic County Chair, whose attention is focused on the environment of our Davis Mountains home.
Focus on Calvin Glover
This month, our focus is on Calvin Glover, our new Party Chair. He is a new resident of Jeff Davis County, but previously lived in Brewster County, at Terlingua Ranch, and has been active in Brewster County Democratic Party politics. Calvin chose to tell us something about himself by explaining why he chose to be a Democrat, and expressing his view of what it means to be a Democrat today.
Here is Calvin’s position statement:
I am often asked, “In a State as red as Texas, why in the world would you choose to be a democrat?”
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That’s easy. It’s because of our history and our core beliefs.
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Our history:
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We’re the Party of women’s suffrage, the New Deal, the G.I. Bill, and Social Security. Democrats pushed America to new heights and lifted its people from the depths of prejudice and hate. We balanced the budget and brought record economic expansion, then rescued an economy on the brink of depression. And in 2010, Democrats passed landmark healthcare reform. Now our challenge going forward is to create an economy that works for everyone, not just the privileged few.
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What does it mean to be a Democrat today?
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It means
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• we’re on the side of hardworking people who count on Social Security and Medicare being there when they retire.
• being on the side of mothers who struggle to make ends meet on a minimum wage that hasn’t kept pace with inflation.
• we’re on the side of parents who want a high-quality education for their kids, so they’re prepared for the jobs of tomorrow.
Being a Democrat means being
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• on the side of undocumented families working to give their children the American Dream;
• on the side of voting rights for every American in every community;
• on the side of men and women with preexisting conditions who wouldn’t have health coverage without Obamacare.
• And we’re on the side of women who demand autonomy over their own bodies, who do equal work and deserve equal pay.
That’s just some of our core beliefs, and that’s why our fight must continue.
The larger question is, “Why would anyone choose not to be a Democrat?”
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In March, our focus will be on Beth Francell, our Secretary, well known to all, and former Jeff Davis County Democratic Party Chair. We want Beth to help us new arrivals understand a little more about the history of our county Democratic Party, and all the juicy tidbits.