Randa Spears is the new chairman of the Shelby County Democratic Party, chosen at the end of a local party convention Saturday, March 28, at First Baptist Church on Broad.

Spears was selected by the new 29-member party executive committee elected at the convention.

Spears, a special events coordinator at St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital has been active in the local party for more than 30 years.

Spears cited her experience running and working in campaigns as well as a desire to “really change the direction of our party.”

She won the chairmanship on the second round of voting over another veteran party activist, Del Gill after Shelby County Commissioner Reginald Milton and Jackie Jackson, a candidate for the county commission in 2014 were eliminated in the first round of voting.

Spears also vowed to restore accountability for local party finances by separating the party chairman’s position and access to the local party’s bank account.

Previous chairman Bryan Carson resigned earlier this year as the executive committee investigated his handling of party bank accounts including withdrawals without receipts and late campaign finance reports to the state.

Local Republicans hold their party convention Sunday in Bartlett to elect a new chairman to succeed Justin Joy.