After attending SMU in Dallas and spending several years working on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C., Kitty Ramsay returned home to Tyler, where she became one of the first women field reporters for KLTV. Not long afterward, she met Lanny Ramsay. The two married six months later, and the young reporter from Tyler suddenly found herself moving to a small Northeast Texas town she had never seen.
“I had never even been to Mount Vernon before we were engaged,” Kitty recalled with a laugh.
That move would become one of the defining moments of her life. Today, nearly 53 years later, Kitty still speaks about Mount Vernon with genuine affection. She describes it as a wonderful place to live, raise a family, and be part of a community that has provided countless opportunities to serve.
Over the years, many of those opportunities found their way to Kitty. She served as president of the Franklin County Chamber of Commerce, helped establish Main Street efforts that worked to preserve the heart of downtown Mount Vernon, participated in the early years of CountryFest through her involvement with the Key Club, served on the Mount Vernon ISD School Board for 15 years, and spent decades teaching women’s Bible studies. Listening to her reflect on those experiences, however, it becomes clear that she does not see them as accomplishments as much as opportunities. Time and again, she redirected attention away from herself and toward the people she worked alongside.
“We live in a town that’s full of people like that,” she said. “Far more than me.”
Still, anyone who has spent time around Kitty knows she has a gift for encouraging people and helping bring ideas to life. That quality played a role in what would eventually become MVNow.
For years, she heard people express the same concern. Since the closure of the local newspaper, many residents felt disconnected from the information that once helped unite the community. They cared about what was happening in Mount Vernon and Franklin County, but often struggled to keep up with local news and events.
“I’ve heard for years people say, ‘I don’t know what’s going on anymore,’” Kitty said. “We missed that objectivity, keeping us informed and uniting us as a community. Information, unity, and accountability.”
The conversation that eventually led to MVNow happened during a gathering with friends Amy Greer Thompson, Ken Greer, and Frankie Cooper. The group wasn’t setting out to launch a newspaper that day. They were simply catching up. During the conversation, Kitty mentioned an online publication she followed in Fairhope, Alabama, where Amy lived. She admired how the publication highlighted positive stories, celebrated local accomplishments, and helped residents stay connected to one another.
Amy’s response was immediate.
“There’s absolutely no reason we can’t do that here.”
That simple statement planted a seed. Over the following months, conversations turned into meetings, meetings into plans, and plans into reality. Looking back, Kitty remembers how each person brought unique strengths to the effort. There were legal hurdles to overcome, financial questions to answer, organizational structures to build, and countless details to address before anything could launch.
“It evolved slowly at first,” Kitty said. “But we knew the need was there.”
Today, when asked what makes her most proud about MVNow, Kitty doesn’t talk about website traffic, readership numbers, or organizational milestones. Instead, she talks about stories. She talks about students, volunteers, business owners, churches, nonprofits, civic leaders, and everyday residents whose efforts often go unnoticed.
“We have such a variety of wonderful people doing incredible things,” she said.
For Kitty, one of MVNow’s greatest strengths is its ability to help people see what is happening around them. A school achievement, a community project, a local event, or a feature on someone making a difference all contribute to something larger. They help residents feel connected to the place they call home.
“When people read about what’s happening, they’re proud,” Kitty said. “There’s a stronger sense of community.”
As MVNow continues to grow, Kitty is excited about what the future may hold. She looks forward to expanded video coverage, community webcams, and new ways for residents to connect with local stories and events.
Yet perhaps the most memorable moment of our conversation came near the end when I asked what advice she would give someone who feels drawn to become more involved in Mount Vernon but isn’t quite sure where to begin.
Without hesitation, Kitty smiled and said, “Trust the whisper.”
She paused before continuing.
“If there’s a whisper in your heart for something good for Mount Vernon, trust it. Pray about it. Partner with someone regarding it, and let it grow.”
It is difficult to think of a better summary of Kitty’s life in Mount Vernon. A whisper led her to serve. A whisper led her to invest in her community. And years later, a whisper shared among friends helped spark the creation of a nonprofit newspaper that now helps connect people across Franklin County.
Sometimes the most meaningful things begin with nothing more than an idea, a conversation, and the willingness to trust the whisper.
