How a Resident Energized Community Engagement Across Berea’s 12 Precincts.
Over the past decade, people have become more and more disillusioned with politics. There have been many attempts to fix this. Billionaires starting new parties, high-profile independents testing presidential runs, and national movements trying to reinvent the political landscape. These efforts never succeed.
Berea resident Daune Jaynes is taking a different approach. She is going local — very local.
Daune has spent the past year cultivating relationships and finding residents willing to step up as precinct leaders. Right now, Berea has three. By May of next year, all 12 precincts will be represented in the Democratic Party — 12 precincts that each have a voice. Eleven leaders who can advocate for their neighbors and for our city.
Some might call this a small change. In reality, it reflects a shift spreading across America. People are stepping up, and neighborhoods are speaking out. Active, engaged precinct leaders keep decision-makers accountable and give all of us a voice — not just the loud few.
Why Precinct Leaders Matter
Berea’s residents live in precincts — small, walkable neighborhoods with shared polling locations and common concerns. Precinct leaders step in as the first people neighbors turn to when they want answers, want to raise an issue, or want to get involved.
Until recently, most precincts in Berea sat empty. Thanks to Daune, that is changing — and with it comes a new opportunity.
Her vision is to empower precinct leaders to serve a vital role: relaying neighborhood concerns, assisting with voter engagement, answering questions, and connecting residents with resources. They strengthen communication channels, especially in moments when residents feel unheard or uncertain about changes happening around them.
When volunteers step into every precinct — as they soon will — the entire city gains a stronger, more representative voice.
The Role of Berea City Leader
Precinct leaders are essential, but none of this can happen without someone to organize the effort. That responsibility falls to the City Leader.
The City Leader recruits volunteers, coordinates communication, and serves as a bridge between the city and the community groups working to address local issues.
That role is currently held by Daune Jaynes, who has lived in Berea since 1990 and spent more than three decades contributing to community life — from nonprofit work to school volunteering to workplace advocacy. Her background in organizing and her steady commitment to fairness and accessibility positioned her well for the challenge of rebuilding precinct-level engagement.
Finding 11 people willing to step forward, represent their neighborhoods, and take responsibility for strengthening communication is no small task. Many cities can’t fill even a fraction of their precincts.
Berea now has a full team.
This means our city has more eyes, more ears, and more problem-solvers ready to identify concerns, share information, and support neighbors who want to help shape Berea’s future.
A Moment of Real Civic Renewal
Strong communities aren’t built unless ordinary residents choose to be involved. As Berea navigates new development and emerging challenges, having engaged precinct leaders ensures that residents stay informed and leaders remain accountable.
With local media shrinking across the country, it is more important than ever to have people within our own community helping keep us updated — whether it’s ongoing plans around the Browns training center or future proposals for mixed-use spaces, housing, and community fields.
Daune’s achievement is not just organizational. It is cultural. It represents a return to something Berea has always valued: neighbors participating, communicating, and shaping the direction of the place they call home.
For a city that prides itself on kindness, involvement, and civic spirit, this moment is something worth celebrating.
