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Brenda is a graduate of the University of Tennessee School of Nursing. She came to Sylva in 1964 to work at C. J. Harris Hospital.
She married Dr. Jay Oliver, a widower with five children, in 1965. They added two daughters to that mix. Brenda turned to nursing after her daughters went to school and finished her twenty-five year career as Director of Surgical Services at the hospital.
Brenda became interested in politics after experiencing an unpleasant accident for which she could get no resolution. She was the first woman ever elected to political office in Sylva in 1981. She has served as Sylva’s mayor since 1992.
She served on the Board of Directors on the North Carolina League of Municipalities, the National League of Cities Board of Directors and is presently serving on the National League of Cities Advisory Board. Locally she is on the Board of Directors of the Jackson County Economic Development Commission, The Community Table, Mountain Projects and Bridging Jackson Communities.
Brenda is married to Sylva attorney, Paul Holt, and between them they have eight children and eight grandchildren.
“I have been an elected official for twenty-six years and I think everyone should run for an elected position at least once in their life. It has been an interesting journey for me and I would like to share some insights on dealing with the public, projecting a positive outlook for your area and juggling various roles and responsibilities while maintaining some semblance of sanity.”
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