Frankie Dakin, Bonner Scholar and Rhodes College Class of 2014, was just named a 2019 Truman Foundation Democracy Fellow. The Democracy Fellows Program is for Truman Scholars interested in pursuing electoral politics. The program is designed so that participants: (1) develop knowledge of the key issues and challenges associated with the electoral process, (2) build community among one another — Truman Scholars actively planning to pursue electoral politics, and (3) become better prepared to succeed in the electoral arena.
Frankie currently serves as appointed Public Outreach Liaison for Shelby County, Tennessee. He was appointed to that role by Mayor Lee Harris in September 2018. As Public Outreach Liaison, he manages special projects and is responsible for implementing strategies to ensure feedback is received from citizens, community groups, elected officials, and other agencies to support specific initiatives.
Prior to his appointment, Frankie served as Deputy Campaign Manager and Political Director for Lee Harris’ successful mayoral campaign. While pursuing his degree at Rhodes College, he successfully ran for Alderman in his hometown of Millington, TN. He served two terms at which time he was the youngest elected official in the state of Tennessee, and the youngest elected official in the history of the City of Millington.
Frankie graduated from Rhodes College in 2014 with a degree in Political Economy and Public Policy. He is a staunch advocate for youth as Vice President of Tennessee Young Democrats, an advisor to the Memphis Youth Union and Board Chair for Let’s Innovate through Education (LITE), a non-profit that seeks to equip African-American and Latinx students with 21st-century skills to close the racial wealth gap. He’s also a proud dog dad.
Truman Scholarship Foundation’s Democracy Fellows program
This year's 19 Fellows will come together as a cohort from across the country and political spectrum in DC to explore a range of issues over three days, November 7-9. The Democracy Fellows are pursuing paths from local to federal elected office. Some are running in the 2020 cycle; others are planning for further into the future. Workshop topics they will explore together include:
working with party leaders
cultivating donors and raising money
navigating election law
assessing local versus federal races
building a campaign apparatus
approaches to media
attracting allies and building coalitions
balancing personal life with public office