THE
State Employees Association of North Carolina, SEIU Local 2008 1621 Midtown Place, Raleigh, NC 27609 • www.seanc.org 800-222-2758 • 919-833-6436 • Circulation 55,000
November 2014
• Vol. 33, Issue 1
Delegates elect a new slate of officers at convention By Jonathan Owens
Delegates at the 31st Annual SEANC Convention elected a new slate of officers to lead the association in 2014-15. The new officers all ran on a platform of continuing SEANC’s current direction, including the effort to expose secrecy and waste in the state retirement system. Wayne Fish of Maggie Valley was elected president of the association. Fish works as a correctional food service manager II at the Department of Public Safety with 16 years of state service. He is a graduate of Asheville-Buncombe Community College. He previously served as SEANC’s Employees Political Action Committee (EMPAC) Statewide Chairman. “Wayne Fish has been living and breathing politics his entire life,” SEANC Executive Director Dana Cope said. “His leadership will guide our membership organization to greater accomplishments.” Ross Hailey, a retired Department of Transportation engineer from Washington, was elected first vice president. Stanley Drewery, a retiree from both the Department of Transportation and the Department of Public Safety from Grifton, was elected second vice president, and Gloria Evans, an administrative support specialist with the East Carolina University School of Medicine from Winterville, was elected general treasurer. In addition, Sidney M. Sandy will continue to serve in a leadership role as Immediate Past President. The officers began their one-year terms on Oct. 1.
PHOTO BY MATTHEW WHITTLE
SEANC Asst. Director of Communications
SEANC’s 2014-15 statewide officers are (from left) Past President Sidney M. Sandy, General Treasurer Gloria Evans, Second Vice President Stanley Drewery, First Vice President Ross Hailey and President Wayne Fish.
EMPAC also gains new leadership. Tony Smith of Morganton, a maintenance supervisor at Foothills Correctional Institution in Morganton and former SEANC president, was elected Statewide EMPAC Chairman. Also during SEANC’s annual convention, members pledged more than $20,000 to the SEANC Scholarship Foundation in memory of Dr. Yolyndra Green of Charlotte. Dr. Green passed away this year and was an employee at Central Piedmont Community College and chairwoman of District 13. Delegates also passed four bylaws amendments and voted on the top 10 policy platform objectives the association will prioritize in the 2015 General Assembly session. Delegates also heard a presentation from generational humorist Meagan Johnson on effective ways to communicate with coworkers, peers, family members and anyone of different
Officers’ Priorities
The new officers ran on a platform calling for: • Increased state employee and retiree compensation • Increased transparency in the $90 billion state retirement system • A continuation of SEANC’s fight to reduce excessive Wall Street money managers’ fees from the state retirement system.
generations. Afterwards, Member Action Coordinators Steve Lawson and La’Tuan Danns led an interactive exercise on reaching new members. An emotional memorial presentation of members who passed in the last year started off the convention’s final day before both EMPAC and the Scholarship Foundation announced the winners of their sweepstakes. The convention concluded with the annual awards ceremony on Saturday night. jowens@seanc.org, Twitter @jonbowens
President’s Message By Wayne Fish SEANC President
‘Humbled by your trust, and grateful’
The following are excerpts of SEANC President Wayne Fish’s being reported on around the nation. People are watching this acceptance speech after his swearing in as president at the 31st Annual closely and I’m afraid it won’t end well for Madame Treasurer SEANC Convention on Sept. 6. if she doesn’t open up the record books and disclose those secret fees she keeps paying with our pension dollars. That’s never dreamed it would be possible that a mountain boy our money, not hers! like me could become president of an organization as We made some bold decisions at this convention, most important and strong as SEANC. significantly the decision to expand into local county and city I want to recognize and thank my parents, both of whom worker sectors. We need to study closely how to proceed. I are here in the audience with me tonight. will be talking to the executive committee and staff about I want to thank my district (District 2). appointing a committee to look at how to best proceed in that It has been a real team effort. They have arena. really groomed me for this job for a lot In closing let me thank you. Each and every one of you of years. makes SEANC the greatest organization I know. You humble me with your trust and I am grateful. God bless you all and But leading the State Employees Association of North Carolina is have a good night! not about me. No, leading this great wfish@seanc.org association is about you, and about your Fish coworkers and your fellow retirees and THE your families and all of our futures. I look forward to working with our executive director to maintain our careful, well thought out political strategy. We are on the verge of true pension transparency reform and our struggle with the North Carolina Treasurer on this is
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The Reporter • November 2014
Toni Davis, Editor-In-Chief Jonathan Owens, Managing Editor Alicia Miller, Associate Editor Beth Dew, Associate Editor Matthew Whittle, Associate Editor State Employees Association of North Carolina 1621 Midtown Place • Raleigh, NC 27609 Telephone 919-833-6436, 800-222-2758 www.seanc.org
Advertising Policy SEANC accepts advertising material from companies and persons seeking to communicate with SEANC members. Acceptance of this advertising does not indicate SEANC approval or endorsement of any representation that the message, product or service is as represented by the advertiser. SEANC accepts no responsibility and shall not be liable for any use of or reliance on any such information, product or service. SEANC is a private entity and is under no obligation to carry advertisements of any nature, political or otherwise, that may be viewed as contrary to the interests of the association and its membership.
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The Reporter • November 2014
3
MEMBER ACTION
SEANC eyes growth to increase members’ strength by
Matthew Whittle
SEANC Communications Specialist
Former SEANC President Sidney M. Sandy issued a challenge at the 31st Annual SEANC Convention this September — one repeated by Executive Director Dana Cope and the association’s incoming and outgoing officers. It is a challenge to increase SEANC’s membership to 60,000 within the next year, adding a net total of 5,000 members before Sept. 30, 2015. “SEANC’s strength is in its members,” said Sandy. The more members we have, the louder our voice will be at the legislature.” To help SEANC reach its goal, President Wayne Fish, the Executive Committee and SEANC’s staff currently are working to finalize the details of an exciting new recruitment campaign, as well as a special training session for
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The Reporter • November 2014
members early next year. The groundwork for this effort was laid at the convention with two presentations. The first was by generational speaker and humorist Meagan Johnson who focused on the differences between generations — Traditionalists, Baby Boomers, Generation X and Generation Y/Millenials — and how those differences can be bridged in the workplace. The second was by SEANC’s own Membership Action Coordinators Steve Lawson and La’Tuan Danns. Following Johnson, the pair discussed how SEANC members could take the lessons they had just learned and apply them to their efforts to recruit new members. They helped delegates think of ways to recruit new members of all ages and ways to make the association, on both the state and district levels, more visible and accessible to nonmembers. Stay tuned to the Scoop and other
SEANC communications for more information on this campaign. In the meantime, the best way for you to become involved is to talk to your co-workers. Tell them about how SEANC fights for you, your pay raises and your employee rights, and about the discounts and competitive insurance programs offered through SEANC. Convince them to join and make all of our voices stronger. mwhittle@seanc.org, Twitter @mwwhittle The Reporter, USPS 009-852 (ISSN 1069 2142), is published nine times a year in the months of February, March, April, May, June, July, September, November and December for $2.50 per year, per member, by the State Employees Association of North Carolina, Inc., 1621 Midtown Place, Raleigh, NC 27609. Periodicals postage paid at Raleigh and additional offices. POSTMASTER Send address changes to: THE REPORTER 1621 Midtown Place Raleigh, NC 27609
MEMBER ACTION
McKinley has a knack for reaching new members by
Matthew Whittle
When it comes to recruiting new members to SEANC, James McKinley finds that an early straightforward approach works the best. “I always speak to new employees right after they get on the job at the women’s prison,” said McKinley, a District 40 member and corrections officer at the North Carolina Correction Institute for Women. “They don’t know about SEANC at all. This is the first time many of them have ever heard of SEANC.” But, he said, once he begins explaining to them what the association is and how it can benefit them, the new employees often begin paying close attention. “I explain what SEANC does for them. I’m selling SEANC, but really SEANC sells itself,” McKinley said. He said he usually begins a typical “sales pitch” by explaining what SEANC is not — that while it is similar to a union, it does not have collective bargaining power. But, he said, he then explains that the association lobbies the General Assembly, advocating on behalf of state employees for pay raises, better benefits and continued job protections. “That, they pretty much understand,” he said. He then explains to them that whether they realize it or not, as state employees, the politics in Raleigh have a direct impact on their jobs. “After I welcome them to the state agency, I tell them, ‘There is a political side to your job,’” McKinley said. “You need someone who’s going to fight for you and, as state employees, someone who will represent you in front of the state legislature, and fight for you to receive higher pay raises and better benefits.” And that, he tells them, is what SEANC does. He tells new employees that while they are welcome to go to the legislature themselves to help lobby, being a SEANC member doesn’t obligate them to. Rather, he stresses to new employees that what SEANC really needs from them is their membership. “We need to arm (Executive Director) Dana (Cope) with the tools he needs, and that’s your membership,” he said. “The more members Dana has, the stronger he and SEANC are, and that, they understand.” Then he tells new employees that giving SEANC the membership it needs to stand strong before the General Assembly and governor costs only $12 a month — $9 in SEANC dues and $3 in EMPAC contributions. However,
PHOTO BY MATTHEW WHITTLE
SEANC Communications Specialist
District 40 member James McKinley says younger state workers need to know what SEANC is and what it can do for them in order to join.
he also tells them how they can recoup that $12 if they choose to take advantage of the many discounts and insurance programs SEANC offers. “So I show them what they get for their $12, and then I show them how their membership can be free,” McKinley said. “You give me the $12 and I’ll show you how to get that $12 back. And everyone understands free.” Often, it’s a pitch that works, even with the high number of 20- to 30-year-olds being hired at the facility. McKinley plans to continue to advocate for and recruit new members to SEANC as long as he can because once he learned what the association was, he became a believer in its mission and its results. McKinley said he began at what was then called the Department of Corrections in 2003, but didn’t become a SEANC member until later in 2004. “I never heard of SEANC my first year,” he said. “Then I heard something about lobby days, and I said, ‘Who are these people?’ I started looking into SEANC and found out what it was all about. I saw that I could use this organization because they lobby for me and make me better. I saw SEANC has my best interests at heart. I saw what they can do with my $12. “I wondered, ‘How can I help them help me?’ And I said, ‘Membership. We need more members. If we have more members, we’re stronger.’ And so this is my way of helping SEANC help me. “We can’t take it for granted that people know what SEANC is, but once you define what SEANC is, it really kind of sells itself.” mwhittle@seanc.org, Twitter @mwwhittle
The Reporter • November 2014
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2014 CONVENTION
Randleman named EMPAC’s Legislator of the Year by Jonathan
Owens
The Employees Political Action Committee (EMPAC), a member-led subsidiary of SEANC, recently presented its Lisa B. Mitchell Legislator of the Year award to Sen. Shirley Randleman (R-Wilkes) for her role in advocating for transparency in the $90 billion state retirement system during the 2014 General Assembly session. Then-Statewide EMPAC Chairman Wayne Fish presented the award at SEANC’s annual convention on Sept. 5. Sen. Randleman, a longtime SEANC member and former Clerk of Court from Wilkes County, was on hand to accept the award. She told delegates that as a 34-year state employee, she didn’t need notes to make her speech. “I know how you work in extreme conditions for lower than average pay,” she said to applause. “It is my number one priority to keep your jobs safe. I appreciate this award and rest assured that I will continue to advocate on your behalf.” Sen. Randleman was instrumental in SEANC’s successful thwarting of an attempt to enshrine secrecy in the state retirement system during the 2014 General Assembly session after state Treasurer Janet Cowell pushed a bill to keep pension deals secret for up to 10 years after they are signed. Randleman stood up for SEANC members at a Senate Pensions, Retirement and Aging Committee meeting in July, relating her own frustration when trying to secure information from the state Treasurer on real estate investments with
EMPAC SWEEPSTAKES
Grand Prize ($5,000) District 5 member Janet Carver of Lenoir Second Prize ($1,000) District 65 member Ann Land of Winterville Third Prize ($500) District 21 member Maxzina Clement of Oxford Fourth Prize ($250; two awarded) District 45 member Enrico Giannone of Rolesville District 47 member Rebecca Howell of Durham Fifth Prize ($100; five awarded) District 44 member Sheila Lawrence of Knightdale District 42 member Ellen Phillips of Nomokis, Fla. District 61 member Christopher Raynor of Jacksonville District 21 member Louise Gooche of Durham District 1 member David Shapiro of Cullowee
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The Reporter • November 2014
PHOTO BY MATTHEW WHITTLE
SEANC Asst. Communications Director
N.C. Sen. Shirley Randleman (R-Wilkes) (right) enters the convention hall with SEANC members from her district, to accept the Lisa B. Mitchell Legislator of the Year award for her work in the 2014 legislative session.
retirement funds. She never received the information from the treasurer. Because of her testimony, the bill was pulled from the agenda and received no further consideration. She also sponsored a bill to expand benefits associated with the Bailey Settlement that is expected to be reintroduced in the 2015 session. The award is named for Lisa B. Mitchell, an outstanding and dedicated state employee and SEANC member from Durham. She worked for North Carolina Central University and served EMPAC for several years. Lisa Mitchell passed away in 2008 after a courageous battle with breast cancer. jowens@seanc.org, Twitter @jonbowens
SCHOLARSHIP BOARD RAFFLE WINNERS
Grand Prize ($6,000) District 66 member Stephanie G. Hill of Kinston Second Prize ($3,000) District 1 member Mark Haskett of Cullowee Third Prize ($1,000) Lena Perry of Raleigh
2013-2014 TOP RECRUITERS First Place ($300) Ron Fields of District 20; 326 new members Second Place ($200) Joe Cagle of District 20; 83 new members Third Place ($100) Russell Anderson of District 60; 50 new members
2014 CONVENTION
Sandy gets a close shave for scholarship by
Matthew Whittle
Then-President Sidney M. Sandy chose the SEANC Scholarship Foundation as the Community Service Project for the 31st Annual SEANC Convention, and issued a challenge. “Raise $12,000 and I’ll shave my beard,” he said. “Raise $18,000 and I’ll shave my head, too.” By the end of the convention’s first day, the hair once on Sandy’s head lay in a pile on the floor, and the scholarship foundation was about $20,000 richer. The offerings began with the District 13 delegation making a $600 donation in honor of their late chairwoman Dr. Yolyndra Green, to whose memory Sandy had dedicated the convention, and in whose name a scholarship will be given next year. “Dr. Green was a great leader for SEANC and met challenges with grace, dignity and that infectious smile,” current District 13 Chairwoman Linda Colbert told delegates. From there, district representatives approached the microphones and announced their donations. Then came the individual donations — and the challenges to donate. District chairpersons challenged district chairpersons. Former statewide officers challenged other former statewide officers. Retirees challenged retirees. Longtime members gave $1 for every year they had been a member or attended convention — totaling 63 years and $63 for former president J.E. Skinner.
PHOTO BY MATTHEW WHITTLE
SEANC Communications Specialist
Then SEANC President Sidney M. Sandy had his head and beard shaved after delegates raise more than $20,000 for the SEANC Scholarship Foundation.
Staff also got in on the act, paced by Executive Director Dana Cope who gave $500 and former SEANC president and current lobbyist Chuck Stone and his wife, District 58 Chairwoman Marie Stone, who pledged a $1,000 dollar-fordollar match that helped put the total over the top. Sandy jokingly threatened to close the floor as the totals grew ever higher. In the end, though, the delegates met his challenge and with the help of the hair stylists from JCPenney, Sandy sat down and the crowd cheered as his hair and beard — which had been his trademark since the early 1980s — fell away. “I’m very proud of the delegates. This was all about the children,” Sandy said. mwhittle@seanc.org, Twitter @mwwhittle
Bylaws changes voted on by convention delegates Delegates voted on the following five bylaws amendments at the 31st Annual SEANC Convention on Sept. 5: Proposed Amendment #1 Proposed change to Article III, Section 1.1 n This adds the phrase “any NC Local Government Retirement System” to the section in the Bylaws that spells out who can join SEANC, thereby broaden the recruiting base by including local government employees. Proposed Amendment #2 Proposed change to Article III, Section 2 n This change prohibits SEANC and SEIU employees from voting, making or seconding motions, placing names in nomination, holding office and serving on committees to avoid possible conflicts-of-interest.
Proposed Amendment #3 Proposed change to Article III, Section 8 n This change would have restructured the way dues are rebated to districts. It would have resulted in a projected $71,000 shortfall in the SEANC operating budget. Proposed Amendment #4 Proposed change to Article XIII, Section 1.2 n This change makes it clear that a bylaws amendment must be submitted to the State Bylaws Committee within 10 business days after approval at a district’s annual meeting and no later than July 15. Proposed Amendment #5 Proposed change to Article XIII, Section N/A n This is a procedural change clarifying what constitutes a majority of delegate votes at the annual convention. The Reporter • November 2014
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Executive Director Dana Cope and District 18 member Gwendolyn Pressley at the Saturday banquet.
PHOTO BY KACEE GORE
PHOTO BY MATTHEW WHITTLE
District 40 member Roszena Lowe lights a candle in honor of those members who passed away in the last year.
PHOTO BY LYNN COTE
PHOTO BY JONATHAN OWENS
2014 CONVENTION
Gov. Pat McCrory stops for a picture with District 27 member Danielle Colbert-Lewis after McCrory addressed the convention on Friday.
PHOTO BY KACEE GORE
SEANC President Sidney M. Sandy poses for a picture with EMPACendorsed N.C. House candidate Margie Storch at the EMPAC Legislative Reception on Friday night.
PHOTO BY MATTHEW WHITTLE
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Always recruiting, District 17 member Dan Efird signs up his legislator, N.C. Rep. Allen McNeill (R-Randolph), for a SEANC membership at the EMPAC Legislative Reception Friday night.
District 56 member Willie Pittman celebrates his birthday and challenges new members to sit beside him as delegates next year.
The Reporter • November 2014
District 20 members participate in the “How to Speak SEANC” training exercise on Thursday.
Generational Humorist Meagan Johnson mingles among the delegates during her presentation on effective ways to communicate with coworkers, peers, family members and anyone else who is of a different generation.
District 39 Chairwoman Mary O’Neill announces a donation to the Scholarship Foundation as District 16 member Angela Edwards looks on during the community service portion of Thursday’s session.
The Reporter • November 2014
PHOTO BY MATTHEW WHITTLE
PHOTO BY KACEE GORE
District 1 member Allen McNeill, one of only 26 Generation Y delegates (born after 1982), raises his hand during the presentation by Meagan Johnson.
District 3 Chairman Pat Reighard (center) accepts a $1,000 check for winning the video submission contest. At left is Bylaws Committee Chairman Jimmy Davis and at right is President Sidney M. Sandy. Visit youtube.com/seancmedia to view the winning entry.
PHOTO BY MATTHEW WHITTLE
PHOTO BY MATTHEW WHITTLE
District 45 member Marcus Patterson speaks with N.C. Senator-elect Shelly Willingham (D-Edgecombe) at the EMPAC Legislative Reception on Friday night.
PHOTO BY MATTHEW WHITTLE
PHOTO BY MATTHEW WHITTLE
2014 CONVENTION
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2014 CONVENTION
District 6 Chairwoman Sonya Akbar (left) and District 12 Chairwoman Marilyn Martin received District Chairperson of the Year awards.
Statewide EMPAC Chairman Wayne Fish presented District 26 member Gloria Upperman (left) and District 12 member Alicia Baucom with EMPAC Chairman’s Awards.
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The Reporter • November 2014
District 24 Chairwoman Cathy Fields received the Distinguished Service Award for her many contributions to the association.
PHOTO BY MATTHEW WHITTLE
President Sidney M. Sandy presented District 58 member Pam Hailey (left) and his secretary, District 38 member Betty Gautier, with the President’s Awards for their assistance.
PHOTO BY MATTHEW WHITTLE
PHOTO BY MATTHEW WHITTLE
Meeting and Convention Planner Alicia Miller (left) and Finance Director Rex Foster received the Darrell Arnold Awards for excellence as SEANC staff members.
District 16 Chairwoman Linda Moore was named SEANC’s Member of the Year.
PHOTO BY MATTHEW WHITTLE
PHOTO BY MATTHEW WHITTLE
PHOTO BY MATTHEW WHITTLE
District 22 Chairwoman Deborah Harney (left), District 7 Chairman Henry Belada and District 6 Chairwoman Sonya Akbar accepted District of the Year awards.
PHOTO BY MATTHEW WHITTLE
PHOTO BY MATTHEW WHITTLE
a night with the seanc stars
Member Discount Chairwoman Janet Bunch (left) gave out awards to District 18 Chairwoman Sharron Patterson (first place), District 7 Chairman Henry Belada (second place) and District 64 member T. Glen Allen (third place) for their recruiting efforts in 2013-14.
PUBLIC POLICY
Quotes to Note
“Other institutional investors around the world could potentially follow CalPERS’ lead and finally dump these high-risk funds. Those who wait to cash in may find the money’s gone. That’s not a risk state workers are willing to take. It’s time to pull out of these investments now before the cart starts going downhill too fast for us to jump off.” SEANC Executive Director Dana Cope in a Sept. 18 Forbes article titled, “North Carolina Workers Call On State Pension To Dump Up To $6 Billion In Hedge Funds To Avoid ‘Run On Bank’”
FROM SOCIAL MEDIA
GO FISH! It is going to be a great year for SEANC.
District 26 Chairman Robert Garrett commenting on a post about the new officers elected at the convention.
This was wonderful, best one we have ever had! Such a honor to our coworkers! Thank you SEANC. District 16 member Phyllis Comer commenting on photos from the remembrance presentation at the convention.
15 years after Hurricane Floyd, we remember efforts of DOT & other state e’ees to help NC recover. Thanks state e’ees for all you do.
A tweet from @seanc2008 on Sept. 18.
At the Greensboro SEANC convention with 900 of my closest friends. Good times! #changingtheworld A tweet from @DanaDcope on Sept. 4 at the start of the 31st Annual SEANC Convention.
2015 Policy Platform Objectives SEANC’s legislative priorities are determined by you, the members, at district meetings and the annual convention. Convention delegates rank the association’s policy platform objectives each year. Here are the Top 10 Policy Platform Objectives for 2015, as determined by 2014 convention delegates: 1. Request that the General Assembly fully fund employee salary compensation prior to considering other appropriations. 2. Seek restoration of the employer’s contribution to the Retirement System that will at least match the employees’ contribution. 3. Oppose legislation that would remove employees from the protections of State Human Resources Act. 4. SEANC will oppose privatization and downsizing of state government services.
5. Seek to establish a fully paid individual health care benefit equivalent to the current PPO 80/20 in place as of June 30, 2013, for all active qualified and retired state employees. 6. Seek a cost-of-living adjustment for retired state employees equal to any increase awarded to active state employees. 7. Seek policy or legislation to reduce generic co-pays in the State Health Plan to a maximum of $10. 8. Seek legislative change from the state treasurer serving as sole fiduciary of the retirement system. 9. Seek to have SEANC continue to protect dues deduction options from being deleted from the North Carolina state payroll. 10. SEANC supports continuation of a defined benefit retirement plan for current and future state retirees. The Reporter • November 2014
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2014 EMPAC Endorsements Election Day is Nov. 4
N.C. House Candidates
District 2 Ray Jeffers
District 3 Whit Whitley
(D-Person)
(D-Craven)
District 14 George Cleveland
District 15 Phillip Shepard
(R-Onslow)
(R-Onslow)
District 28 J.H. Langdon
District 30 Paul Luebke
(R-Harnett)
(D-Durham)
District 40 Marilyn Avila
District 43 Elmer Floyd
(R-Wake)
(D-Cumberland)
District 55 Kim Hargett
District 56 Verla Insko
(D-Union)
(D-Orange)
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District 5 Howard Hunter III
District 7 Bobbie Richardson
(D-Hertford)
(D-Franklin)
District 20 Betsy Jordan
District 22 William Brisson
(D-New Hanover)
District 8 Bobi Gregory
District 9 Uriah Ward
(D-Wilson)
(D-Pitt)
District 12 George Graham
District 13 Pat McElraft (R-Carteret)
(D-Lenoir)
District 23 Shelly Willingham
District 24 Jean FarmerButterfield
District 26 Leo Daughtry
District 27 Michael Wray
(R-Johnston)
(D-Northampton)
District 38 Yvonne Lewis Holley
District 39 Darren Jackson
(D-Wake)
(D-Wake)
District 50 Graig Meyer
District 51 Brad Salmon
(D-Orange)
(D-Harnett)
(D-Bladen)
(D-Edgecombe)
District 31 Mickey Michaux
District 32 Nathan Baskerville
District 35 Brian Mountcastle
(D-Durham)
(D-Vance)
(D-Wake)
District 45 John Szoka
District 46 Ken Waddell
District 48 Garland Pierce
(R-Cumberland)
(D-Columbus)
(D-Scotland)
(D-Wake)
District 60
District 62 Sal Leone
District 63 Ian Baltutis
District 65 Bert Jones
District 67 Justin Burr
District 70 Pat Hurley
(D-Guilford)
(D-Alamance)
(R-Rockingham)
(R-Stanley)
(R-Randolph)
Cecil Brockman (D-Guilford)
The Reporter • November 2014
(D-Wilson)
District 36 Nelson Dollar (R-Wake)
District 49
Kim Hanchette
District 71 Evelyn Terry (D-Forsyth)
District 75 Donny Lambeth
District 82 Earle Schecter (D-Cabarrus)
(R-Forsyth)
District 91 Bryan Holloway
District 93 Jonathan Jordan
(R-Stokes)
(R-Ashe)
District 83 Linda Johnson
District 84 Rena Turner
District 87 Edgar Starnes
District 88 Margie Storch
District 89 Mitch Setzer
(R-Iredell)
(R-Catawba)
(D-Mecklenburg)
(R-Catawba)
District 115 Nathan Ramsey
District 116 Brian Turner
District 118 Dean Hicks
(D-Buncombe)
(D-Yancey)
District 9 Elizabeth Redenbaugh
District 10 Brent Jackson
(R-Cabarrus)
District 108 John Torbett
District 111 Tim Moore
District 112 Lisa Bralley
(R-Gaston)
(R-Cleveland)
(D-Rutherford)
(R-Buncombe)
N.C. Senate Candidates
District 1 Stan White (D-Dare)
District 3 Erica Smith-Ingram
District 4 Angela Bryant
District 5 Don Davis
District 6 Harry Brown
District 7 Louis Pate
(D-Nash)
(D-Greene)
(R-Onslow)
(R-Wayne)
(D-Northampton)
District 13 Jane Smith
District 14 Dan Blue
(D-Robeson)
(D-Wake)
District 30 Shirley Randleman (R-Wilkes)
(R-Sampson)
(D-New Hanover)
District 15 Tom Bradshaw
District 17 Tamara Barringer
District 22 Mike Woodard
District 23 Valerie Foushee
District 25 Gene McLaurin
(D-Wake)
(R-Wake)
(D-Durham)
(D-Orange)
(D-Richmond)
District 33 Stan Bingham
District 39 Bob Rucho
District 41 Latrice McRae
District 46 Emily Church
District 48 Tom Apodaca
(R-Davidson)
(R-Mecklenburg)
(D-Mecklenburg)
(D-Burke)
(R-Henderson)
District 49 Terry Van Duyn
District 26 Phil Berger
(R-Rockingham)
District 50 Jane Hipps (D-Haywood)
(D-Buncombe)
The Reporter • November 2014
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2013 CONVENTION
2014-2015 SEANC BOA
Executive Committee President Wayne Fish District 2 Maggie Valley Department of Public Safety
South Central Region Deborah Harney District 22 Cameron Department of Public Safety Eastern Region Benny Brigman District 70 Pink Hill Department of Public Safety (retired)
First Vice President Ross Hailey District 58 Washington Department of Transportation (retired)
Western Region Barbara Leatherman District 9 Newton Department of Transportation
Second Vice President Stanley Drewery District 67 Grifton Department of Public Safety (retired)
Retiree Council Chairman Spillman Grice District 66 Kinston Department of Health and Human Services (retired)
Treasurer Gloria Evans District 65 Winterville East Carolina University
Past President Sidney M. Sandy District 11 Indian Trail Department of Transportation (retired) Piedmont Region Marilyn Martin District 12 Salisbury Department of Public Safety
North Central Region Gracie LeSane District 27 Durham N.C. Central University
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District Chairpersons
Insurance Board of Trustees Chairwoman Doranna Anderson District 47 Raleigh Department of Health and Human Services
President’s Assistants Secretary Betty Gautier District 38 Benson Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services Parliamentarian Roy McGalliard District 5 Morganton Western Piedmont Comm. College (retired) Parliamentarian Kim Martin District 10 Concord Department of Public Safety
The Reporter • November 2014
District 1 Tony Rickman Asheville Department of Transportation
District 10 James Hartley Landis Department of Public Safety
District 2 Dodie Collins Asheville Administrative Office of the Courts (retired)
District 11 Kenny Brower Wadesboro Department of Transportation
District 3 Pat Reighard Blowing Rock Appalachian State University (retired)
District 13 Linda Colbert Charlotte Central Piedmont Comm. College
District 4 Jerry Bridges Polkville Department of Transportation (retired)
District 16 Willie Bailey Pfafftown Winston-Salem State University (retired)
District 5 Sherry McCracken Morganton Western Piedmont Comm. College
District 17 Sager Furr Blairs, Va. Department of Public Safety
District 6 Sonya Akbar Morganton Department of Health and Human Services
District 18 Sharron Patterson Rockingham Department of Public Safety
District 7 Henry Belada Morganton Department of Health and Human Services (retired)
District 19 Martha Fowler Mebane UNC-Chapel Hill (retired)
District 8 Keith Haynes Millers Creek Department of Transportation
District 20 Jacquelyn Chatman Red Springs Department of Public Safety
OARD OF GOVERNORS District 21 Janice Bass Oxford Department of Health and Human Services
District 39 Doug Skinner Durham N.C. State University (retired)
District 47 Danny Rose Clayton Department of Commerce
District 23 Jeremy Register Whiteville Department of Transportation
District 40 Darius McLaurin Knightdale Department of Public Safety
District 56 Raymond Vaughan Jackson Department of Public Safety (retired)
District 24 Cathy Fields Elizabethtown N.C. Cooperative Extension (retired)
District 41 Wendell Powell Raleigh Department of Public Safety
District 57 Tom Sheen Sims Department of Public Safety
District 25 John Gullo Durham UNC-Chapel Hill
District 42 Sarah McDonald Knightdale Department of Health and Human Services
District 58 Marie Stone Goldsboro Wayne County Schools (retired)
District 26 Robert Garrett Oxford Department of Public Safety
District 43 Brenda Johnson Knightdale Department of Transportation
District 59 Kathy Merritt Goldsboro Department of Health and Human Services
District 36 Felicia McKinnie Raleigh Department of Health and Human Services
District 44 Pat Holcomb Wake Forest Secretary of State’s Office
District 60 Anita King Goldsboro Department of Health and Human Services
District 37 Joseph Qubain Raleigh Department of Transportation
District 45 Saundra Scott Raleigh Department of Public Safety
District 63 Ricky Rivenbark District 61 Department of Public Safety (retired)
District 38 Susan Gentry Raleigh Department of Insurance (retired)
District 46 Randy Bruton Clayton Department of Revenue
District 62 Lewis Sasser Wilmington Department of Insurance (retired)
District 63 Marion Drake Windsor Department of Public Safety (retired)
District 64 Betsey Lee Hodges Washington Beaufort County Comm. College (retired) District 65 Alicia Simpson Greenville East Carolina University
District 66 Mike Kollock Kinston Department of Health and Human Services
District 67 Bill Boyle New Bern Pitt Comm. College
District 68 Rita Woods Creswell Department of Public Safety
District 69 B. Keith Renner Elizabeth City Department of Health and Human Services (retired) Note: Regional representatives also serve as chairpersons of their district.
The Reporter • November 2014
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Periodical Postage PAID Raleigh, NC 1621 Midtown Place Raleigh, NC 27609
On November 4, vote for EMPAC-endorsed candidates! By Jonathan Owens
SEANC Asst. Director of Communications
The State Employees Association of North Carolina announced in late August bipartisan endorsements for the Nov. 4 election. The endorsements are made through SEANC’s Employees Political Action Committee (EMPAC), which is a member-led subsidiary. “State employees and retirees are proud to endorse these candidates who value public services and the people who provide them,” said SEANC President Wayne Fish, who was Statewide EMPAC Chairman at the time of the endorsements. The 80 bipartisan endorsements in races for the General Assembly are a result of recommendations from SEANC members at the district level. Those recommendations were then confirmed by the statewide committee
n Turn to Pages 12-13 for a complete list of candidates endorsed by EMPAC for the general election in November. in August. Endorsements were made in 56 House races and 24 Senate races. EMPAC had a 78-percent success rate in endorsements for the May primary election. One of those endorsed candidates was Erica Smith-Ingram of Northampton County, who will face no opposition in her Senate District 3 general election race. She told delegates at the SEANC Convention on Sept. 6
that she would not have won without EMPAC’s support. “You were the only PAC that endorsed me,” she said. “You were the snowball in my chance and the wing in my prayer. Because you stood by me, I am going to stand by you in the General Assembly. Thank you to my SEANC family.” jowens@seanc.org, Twitter @jonbowens