Regional 5 Director
National Staff Organization
2019
Since graduating from the HTUP in 2019, I have advanced to the position of UniServ Director at the Michigan Education Association (MEA) where I currently represent the Michigan State University Administrative Professional Association which has close to 3,000 members. In this position, I act as the lead negotiator, contract enforcer, advocate, and labor relations specialist for employees in approximately 350 different job classifications. As an education association employee, I am a member of the National Staff Organization (NSO), and I joined the NSO research committee shortly after completing the HTUP. Additionally, I now serve on the NSO Executive Committee as a Regional Director advising members in five states, among other things. As a Michigan Education Association professional staff employee, I am a member of my local union, the Professional Staff Association (PSA). As a member of PSA, I sit on the Executive Committee and I serve on both the Document Review Committee and the Finance Committee.
What impact has the HTUP had on your life/career? The HTUP reminded me why unionism and the labor movement were important to me. It re-invigorated my passion, expanded my knowledge, and enhanced my self-confidence. Less than a year after I graduated from the program, I was able to make a significant advancement in my career and what I learned at the HTUP continues to make me a better leader and advocate every day. Exposure to a vast array of different viewpoints from other trade unions as well as exposure to a variety of theories, ideas, and analyses from the HTUP facilitators challenged me to develop varied approaches to dealing with the obstacles that I encounter in my everyday work as a labor relations specialist and in my representation of my union family. The wealth of knowledge that I gained in the short duration of the HTUP far exceeded what I could have learned through years of experience.