Retired Mansfield teacher is Florida delegate to Democratic National Convention in Chicago

Retired Mansfield City Schools teacher Perry C. Brokaw is a Florida delegate to the August Democratic National Convention in Chicago, Illinois.

Brokaw moved to Florida full-time in 2019. He became very active in the Democratic Party in Polk County, Florida. He is currently treasurer of Polk County Rainbow Ridge LGBTA Democratic Caucus and also the vice president of the Polk County Progressive Democratic Caucus. His FB says he is a "political animal."

Perry said he is excited to go to the convention because he will get to see Democratic friends from Knox and Richland counties there.

This will be his first convention.

"It was on my bucket list," said Perry, 72.

Brokaw retired from Mansfield City Schools in 2009 after 31 years in Knox County Schools and MCS. He was drama director at Danville High School for 10 years.

He began his teaching at Mansfield City Schools at Hedges Elementary School. While teaching in Mansfield he befriended Democrats Lydia Reid, Sherrod Brown and Emily Brown. He is a lifetime member of the Mount Vernon Players and the Mansfield Playhouse.

During retirement, he has traveled to many countries where he taught for two-week stints in Russia, Bolivia and Palestine. He coordinated an after-school, evening program for students whose parents were taking English as a Second Language or General Equivalency Diploma classes in Fort Meade, Florida. He also was coordinator of a two- week English school for Chinese students in Mount Vernon, Ohio for three summers.

Currently, Brokaw attends Lakeland First United Methodist Church where he sings in the choir, participates in the church's dinner theatre and volunteers.

He said he instilled in all of his students that graduating and traveling are important in becoming a well-rounded citizen.

He has been to 48 states and has yet to travel to Alaska and Hawaii.

lwhitmir@gannett.com

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This article originally appeared on Mansfield News Journal: Brokaw active in Democratic Party in Polk County, Florida