{"biography":"## Current office and 2026 campaign\nAmber Leigh Briggs, director of the Avery-Mitchell-Yancey Regional Library System [2], is a Democratic candidate for the Yancey County Board of Commissioners in the November 3, 2026 general election, according to North Carolina State Board of Elections candidate filing records, where she is listed by her full name, Amber Westall Briggs [3].\n\n## Background and education\nBriggs grew up in the South Toe River Valley in Yancey County and graduated from Mountain Heritage High School. She completed biology coursework at North Carolina State University, earned a Bachelor of Arts in Literature from Western Carolina University, and holds a Master of Library Science from Appalachian State University. She is a certified North Carolina public librarian [2].\n\n## Career\nBriggs began her library career as a volunteer with the Yancey County Friends of the Library in 2007 [2]. She joined the Yancey County Public Library staff in 2011 as an assistant librarian, later becoming Assistant Regional Director [1][2]. She was unanimously selected by the AMY Regional Board to become system director in 2015 [1][2]. Under her leadership the AMY system secured more than $500,000 in grants for digital-inclusion initiatives, including $225,000 from the High Country Council of Governments and $270,000 from the Dogwood Health Trust [2]. She received the North Carolina Library Director of the Year Award for 2024 from the Public Library Directors Association [2].\n\nBriggs serves on the boards of High Country Workforce Development, Mountain Community Health Partnership, and the State Library LSTA Grant Committee. She co-chairs the Carolina Mountains Literary Festival board and its Program Committee [2].\n\n## Family\nBriggs, the daughter of Forrest and Sabra Westall, grew up in the South Toe River Valley. She and her husband, Shane, have three children [2].\n\n## Sources\n- [1] [Briggs Chosen to Lead Avery-Mitchell-Yancey Regional Library System \u2013 Avery Journal](https://www.averyjournal.com/news/briggs-chosen-to-lead-avery-mitchell-yancey-regional-library-system/article_8f9b80a8-15c8-11e5-a2c3-67b2b46f7493.html)\n- [2] [AMY Regional Director Briggs Named NC's PLDA Library Director of the Year \u2013 Avery Journal](https://www.averyjournal.com/news/amy-regional-director-briggs-named-nc-s-plda-library-director-of-the-year/article_f260ee82-e771-11ef-b14f-1746a13f6151.html)\n- [3] NC State Board of Elections, 2026 Candidate Filing, Yancey County Board of Commissioners (`Candidate_Listing_2026.csv`) \u2014 accessed 2026-07-19","campaigns":[{"contest":"county_commission","county":"yancey","county_count":1,"electiondate":"Tue, 03 Nov 2026 00:00:00 GMT","pgr":"general","state":"NC","title":"Yancey County Board Of Commissioners"}],"cf_filings":[],"firstname":"Amber","fullname":"Amber Leigh Briggs","lastname":"Briggs","middlename":"Leigh","office_history":[{"campaigns":[{"contest":"county_commission","contest_title":"Yancey County Board Of Commissioners","county":"yancey","county_count":1,"electiondate":"2026-11-03","office_county":"yancey","office_key":"county_commission","office_title":"County Commissioner","party":"DEM","pgr":"general","state":"NC"}],"county":"yancey","cycles":[{"general":{"contest":"county_commission","contest_title":"Yancey County Board Of Commissioners","county":"yancey","county_count":1,"electiondate":"2026-11-03","office_county":"yancey","office_key":"county_commission","office_title":"County Commissioner","party":"DEM","pgr":"general","state":"NC"},"party":"DEM","primary":null,"term":null,"year":2026}],"office_key":"county_commission","office_title":"County Commissioner","state":"NC","terms":[]}],"summary":"Amber Leigh Briggs served as Director of the Avery-Mitchell-Yancey Regional Library System and was involved in a dispute with Yancey County commissioners regarding library control.","terms":[],"token":"a1f48e2d27adba0f"}