SALISBURY — This Saturday’s monthly Rowan Democrat Party breakfast will give people a chance to find out from the inside what serving on a local town council is all about.

The public is invited to the Democratic Breakfast on Saturday, June 10, at 10 a.m. at the Rowan County Democratic Headquarters, 1504 West Innes Street, where Spencer’s Board of Aldermen member Pat Sledge will share her experiences both running for and serving on the board. A question and answer session will follow.

Sledge comes from a long line of Rowan County family members, and is a seventh-generation descendant of Michael Braun, who built the Old Stone House in Granite Quarry in 1766. She grew up in Rowan County and graduated from East Rowan High School. Webb Road was named for her great grandfather whose home was located there.

In 2019, Sledge ran for one of the seats on the board of aldermen in Spencer and won, but she was not new to the political process, having served in volunteer positions with political campaigns at the grass roots level. In 2021, she was re-elected and is serving her second term. She has served as state president of North Carolina Business and Professional Women (BPW) and numerous terms as the state legislative chair for that organization. Currently serving on the Board of Directors for the NC BPW Foundation as treasurer, Sledge has served as the foundation scholarship chair and as parliamentarian for both groups. Sledge served a two-year term as treasurer of the ERA NC Alliance, a group working toward ratification of the Equal Rights Amendment to the Constitution and continues to work as a member of the board of directors to pass legislation to add equal rights to the NC Constitution. She is one of the Rowan Dems representing the party on the SEC.

A former retail business owner, Sledge retired as a sales representative for Classic Business Systems, Inc. of Winston-Salem.
In June of 2016, Sledge moved back to Rowan County and in 2018 bought a home in Spencer. Her parents, now deceased, played a major role in her values and work ethic. Her dad was a volunteer fireman and was a fire commissioner for Rowan County for several years. Her mother was a 4-H leader in Rowan County and instilled in Sledge the importance of volunteer service to her community. Having her as a guest Saturday will provide anyone interested in running for office a great opportunity to hear what the process involves and ask any questions.
The monthly breakfast is a potluck, so bring a breakfast dish to share if you can. Doors will open at 9:45 a.m.

This event is free, but a donation of $10 per person will help cover monthly expenses. If you cannot come, but would like to donate, go to www.actblue.com/donate/rowandemocrats.