Democratic Women of Craven County Leadership
Kate Blakefield
President
Kate Blakefield serves as President of the DWCC and as Volunteer Coordinator for the CCDP. An artist, a retired Spanish teacher, and an organizer of people, Kate is known for her boundless energy and enthusiasm, both of which are evidenced by the myriad of activities happening at headquarters. She has also provided translations for Spanish voters and has served as Precinct Chair for Trent Woods.
Recognized as a “Star” by DWNC, she is also a recipient of the DWCC’s Kathleen Stallings Orringer Pioneers in Democracy Award and CCDP’s William L. Wainwright Award.
Dr. Cheryl Dudasik-Wiggs
Vice-President
DWCC Vice President Cheryl Dudasik-Wiggs serves as Content Manager and newsletter editor for CCDP and DWCC. Regionally, she is Deputy Director of Democratic Women of NC’s Region 10 and is a board member of the non-partisan ERA-NC Alliance.
She was named a "Star" by DWNC for her work with gender equity and led the team that brought the Betty Ray McCain Award to DWCC (1st place, 2022; runner-up, 2025).
In her work as an ECU teaching associate professor In English, Dr. Dudasik-Wiggs served on the Council on Anti-Racism and Equity and as co-director of the university's Gender (née Women’s) Studies Program.
Before retiring from teaching in 2024, she was named an ECU Woman of Distinction; and she received the ECU Committee on the Status of Women’s Dr. Linda Allred Profiles in Leadership Award.
Elaine Rouse
Secretary
Elaine Rouse made New Bern her home in 1991 and retired from Craven Community College in 2021 where she served as the Information Security Analyst for the Technology Services Department.
She became involved in the Democratic Party soon after retirement and served as the HJ MacDonald Precinct Chair. Currently, she is 3rd Vice President of CCDP and Secretary of DWCC.
She was a recipient of the NCDW’s Star Award in 2024 and the DWCC’s Kathleen Stallings Orringer Pioneers of Democracy Award in 2025.
Brenda McGee
Treasurer
Brenda McGee has served as the DWCC Treasurer since January 2024. She is a past DWCC Secretary and has helped with social media for the group for several years.
Brenda was honored as a DWNC “Star” in 2024 at the State Convention. Brenda also serves as the secretary for her precinct in New Bern, sharing communications by email and social media for precinct Democrats and friends.
Before her retirement as a school psychologist, Brenda worked in the public schools of North Carolina for 38 years.
