Jason C. Brendel 

Hello, On November  14th 1980 I  was born at Saint Vincent Hospital, Jason Charles Brendel. I am the son of Charles E. and Dianne M. (Corapi), Brendel. I have two sisters Carla M. Lassoff and Heidi A. Brendel both born and raised in Erie.  At a young age, my father introduced me to then Sec of the Dept of Homeland Security and former Gov. Tom Ridge in Washington DC when he was our Congressmen. My interest in public service began. The family friendship introduced me to politics in Washington DC, Harrisburg PA and right here in Erie PA.  I visited City Hall to speak with former Mayor Joyce A Savacchio when I was a student at East High School many times to understand local government and how to make Erie "Eriesistible!"  My great uncle John Corapi was the Redevelopment Authority Director in the  1960's - 1990's. When I graduated from Our Lady Of Mount Carmel Parochial School in 1995 I told Gov. Tom Ridge,  Mayor Joyce Savacchio and John Corapi  "I will one day run for public office."  

 

When I graduated from the brand new 22 million dollar East High School in 1999 I was accepted to Penn State Erie, The Behrend College. During my years in high school being voted "Most Social" had its perks but today you can see me all over via "social media!"  I was going to be like meteorologists Tim Earl, Joey Stevens and Tom Atkins but I decided to dive into political science instead. Might you remember my name on WJET TV and WSEE TV during the weather right? I began watching the weather from South East part of the City of Erie in 1991. You may have seen my father and me around Erie County with Erie Pa's Old Glory, The Erie County Chapter of the National Flag Foundation. Our mission is to spread the American spirit with paying our respects to the nation's colors and our veterans. We began doing this in 2008 and we have been in many veterans event and ceremonies. Erie PA's Old Glory generates millions of dollars back into Erie economy from The Stars and Stripes Invitational with Erie Gymnastic Center, Roar on the Shore, Erie SeaWolves, Erie Otters, Erie Bayhawks and various parades. 

 

 When I walked onto the Behrend campus, working in Erie, finding myself and before September 11th, 2001 I did something brave and courageous that no one saw coming. I came out of the closet because the one Shania Twain empowering anthem spoke to me to feel the way I was. The process and journey were rough, living in a rust belt city made it tougher to find acceptance and coping with the reality of the current laws was a challenge. Currently today I have the battle scars from a lot of negative and toxic people who told me I would never be successful or living that American dream will come true. My American dream is having my husband, the family, the career, paying it forward, standing for what I believe, fighting the good fight and always loving all walks of life with a deep faith of being humble and kind. With a great support system, friends, family, and allies who stood with me along the way I come to this point in my life where we can build bridges with faith, hope, humility and love. On my professional profile on Linkedin who can clearly see the impact I made as an LGBT leader and advocate for the past several years. 

 

Currently, I am enrolled as a student at Penn State Erie, The Behrend College (took a year off in 2016). I am obtaining B.S degree in Political Science and a minor in Community and Civic Engagement. When elected I plan to further my education to gain my masters in Public Administration and Public Policy. Along that journey and my dream to hopefully will be practicing law in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. My craft, talent, and skill set has always been in the food and hospitality industry. I am a self-taught Chef and events coordinator. I soon hope to own a LGBT establishment back in the heart of Downtown Erie. One last dream I hope to come true is to start, to operate and to be a part of Erie's LGBT Pride Center. I may have dreams but collaboration and inclusion are the keys to my success.

 

 

As I traveled the world I always came home sweet home. I am passionate about volunteering for many organizations and leading the way for a better quality of life. I have a link to my LinkedIn profile to get a little more insight on who I am. It is located at the bottom of the page and click on "IN."  I hope and I pray that I do earn your trust and vote as we come together to combat hatred and oppression in our community, to have a better relationship with law enforcement, to help our veterans, our law enforcement, and our community to be more inclusive with the problems that face Erie, to sustain our current workforce and to welcome new employers as they proudly say "Made In Erie!",  to celebrate our vibrate and diverse cultures in Erie and to excel the pride we have in our beloved hometown. As Oliver H. Perry message was not to give up on the Niagara. I will never give up on my fight for Erie.  #WeHeartErie #MakingItWork 

 

 

Jason C. Brendel