CSEA activists from across the state recently celebrated their completion of our union’s Leadership Education And Development (LEAD) Program.
LEAD is an intensive, 12-month program that helps prepare activists with the skills and knowledge they need to continue to build and strengthen our union and the labor movement.
Sullivan
“Congratulations to all of the activists who have completed our LEAD Program,” CSEA President Mary E. Sullivan said. “[The success] of the program is due to the quality of the professional staff who have kept this program going, and to the people who have [graduated]from LEAD and urged others to apply. Our union really needs a program like this.”
Over five weekend-long sessions, participants completed numerous educational, interactive workshops on topics including union skills, team building, labor history, economic issues, social justice, public speaking and strategic planning. CSEA staff from the Education and Training and several other departments presented the programs, along with representatives from AFSCME and other groups.
LEAD participants also completed assignments between sessions. Class members also created and implemented projects that not only built their local or unit, but the labor movement.
The 2020 LEAD class, CSEA’s 8th class, faced additional challenges in getting to graduation. While the coursework had been completed by early 2020 and the graduation was scheduled for that spring, the COVID-19 pandemic delayed their graduation, which was held virtually this spring. AFSCME International President Lee Saunders served as the keynote speaker at the virtual event.
Saunders
“Education, training and leadership development are such a critical part of the growth and success of our union,” Saunders told graduates. “You are stepping up at such a pivotal time, with this public health crisis making everything we do more difficult. We’ve never needed passionate and dedicated leaders more urgently than we do now.”
Saunders spoke at length about CSEA members’ activism in getting federal aid through the American Rescue Plan, as well as how union members successfully adapted to the pandemic. Playing no small role are CSEA activists who have graduated from the LEAD Program, many of whom have gone on to be elected to union offices on every level, among other leadership roles in CSEA.
“Thank you for doing so much on so many fronts when the stakes are so high,” Saunders said.
— Janice Gavin
CSEA Executive Assistant to the
President Sharon Lovelady-Hall helps award certificates to 2020 CSEA LEAD class members.
CSEA LEAD Program Class of 2020
Congratulations to the following CSEA activists on completing our union’s Leadership Education And Development (LEAD) Program:
| Stacey Baldwin Deyo Kathryn Bayer Tina Buono Lori Cheatom Thomas Cohn Sol Colon Ali Cottrell Crystal Davidson Anitra DiMascia Thomas Fry Brett Furnia Kimberly Grover Kimberly Hollister Jamie Hungerschafer Shameeka Hunter Clair Hurst Matse Jenkins |
Abraham Johnson III Sara Johnson Michele Kiuber Paula Love Jennifer Murdza Kelly Otis Justin Pincoski Evelynn Reid Thomas Robinson Ebony Rose Stevee Kaye Savignano Scott Shugarts Carmen Sno Alphonzo Stubbs James Sullivan Maria Tyler Susan Watson-Amos |
CSEA LEAD graduates, union officers and staff celebrate the accomplishments of the 2020 CSEA LEAD class.
