Retired minister from Erie County volunteering at Democratic convention

VERMILION — As Democrats hosted their national convention in Chicago, a retired Methodist minister from Erie County joined a small army of volunteers to help the convention run smoothly. Roger Skelley-Watts, 75, Vermilion, is a member of the Erie County Democratic Party's central committee. He's enjoyed his opportunity to be a part of the big national event. "It is very fascinating," he said. Skelley-Watts, who flew into Chicago on Sunday and is scheduled to fly back Friday morning, is staying at the airport Hilton at Chicago's O'Hare International Airport. On Sunday night, he was assigned to work with the convention's accessibility team at O'Hare, helping Democratic Party delegates at the airport who had special needs, such as mobility, seeing or hearing. His job included helping people using walkers and wheelchairs. For one elderly delegate traveling with his son, "They needed basically help with luggage and getting in and out of public transportation," Skelley-Watts said. The retired pastor's next assignment was scheduled for a long shift tonight at the sensory room at the United Center, the building where the convention is occurring from. It's also the home of the NBA's Chicago Bulls and NHL's Chicago Blackhawks. The room is a place where people sensitive to loud noises and glaring lights can find peace, said Skelley-Watts, who explained he's familiar with the concept because his last church, Grace United Methodist Church in Vermilion, has installed a sensory room. "If you've watched any of the proceedings on TV, you know there's a lot of noise, there's a lot of light," he said. One plus of tonight's assignment is that it gets Skelley-Watts inside the United Center. Access to the convention is pretty much limited to delegates and to members of the news media who have obtained credentials. "The security is very, very tight, as you can imagine," Skelley-Watts said. Aside from watching the convention on TV like everyone else, Skelley-Watts has been attending caucus meetings in Chicago, including an interfaith caucus meeting and a labor caucus meeting. Skelley-Watts said the Democratic Party asked for 12,000 people to volunteer to help at the convention. At first, the party struggled to get people to sign up, but when Kamala Harris began her campaign for president — replacing Joe Biden at the top of the ticket — interest surged and applications poured in from 35,000 people, he said. Skelley-Watts got in because he had applied early. The retired pastor and his wife, Joan, are both retired Methodist ministers. Her last church was in Huron. The couple have two grown children: Andrew, who owns the Cordelia restaurant in downtown Cleveland, and Kathryn, an organic farmer in Burnsville, North Carolina. Back home, Skelley-Watts has been volunteering to help the re-election campaigns of U.S. Sen. Sherrod Brown, D-Ohio, who stayed away from the convention, and U.S. Rep. Marcy Kaptur, D-Toledo, who planned to fly in Wednesday to attend part of the convention. Skelley-Watts also has been helping local Democrats running for the Erie County Commission. Skelley-Watts said he's always been interested in politics but had to keep partisan politics in the background when he was a pastor because he ministered to everyone. "But now that I'm retired, I can do what I want to do," he said. Amy Grubbe, chairman of the Erie County Democratic Party, said Erie County does not have any delegates at the convention. The Lucas County Democratic Party has the largest group of Democrats in the 9th U.S. House district so it's easier for Lucas County Democrats to get elected as delegates, she said.