Dear Colleagues,
As I end my term, I wanted to take this opportunity to Thank You All!!! for your support of the UUP Buffalo Center Chapter during my time as your Buffalo Center Chapter President.
When I first decided to run for Vice-President of Professionals in 2017, I ran on a platform identifying 4 areas that at that time frustrated me about our Chapter, and that I felt our Chapter was lacking in:
To modify the Chapter to be more INCLUSIVE to all Members.
“Together We Fight, Together We Win!”
Six years ago, your Chapter had only a handful of members as part of a Leadership Group. I would like to thank Kat Kielar, Kevin Ragland, Janiece Jankowski, Domenic Licata, Tricia Canty, and Shirley Bennett who answered my original call to develop, participate and continue their work with me throughout these years – forming the foundation for what has become unequivocally the strongest Chapter Leadership Team your Chapter has ever seen!
Thank You to all the various Chapter Officer’s and Board Members – far too many to mention by name – who have joined the Chapter Leadership team and worked on behalf of the Members over these last few years. Your honesty, candor, and willingness to freely speak your opinions and ideas have only improved the Chapters operations.
A special Thank You needs to go out to the various and numerous Department Reps. Through Kat’s efforts your Chapter has seen a significant increase from around 40 to over 160 individuals who have decided to help share the messages of the union while at the same time bringing the concerns, questions and complaints of our Members to the attention of the union. You all continue to inspire not only myself, but other Members, to seek the Chapter’s assistance when the terms and conditions of our contract are violated. As I have often said “You are the true Heart and Soul of the Chapter”.
To increase MEMBERSHIP, by promoting and understanding as to why it is important to be a Member of UUP.
Thank You Domenic Licata, Danielle Judge, and the Members of the Membership and Communications Committee! The Chapter has seen great Member support with much cleaner and more timely presentations at New Employee Orientations which have progressed into securing a greater partnership with the Buffalo Health Sciences Chapter. Membership Blitz’s, the redesign of your Chapter office and the establishment of Happy Hours offer our Members the opportunity to learn about the importance of being a paid Member of UUP.
To improve COMMUNICATIONS between all Members of the Chapter.
Based on the number of e-mails sent to our Members, I may have to apologize for this one! Your Chapter’s #1 complaint continues to be “We get too many e-mails!”. Thank You Kristen Rinker-Laberta for establishing quick communication links through the Chapter’s Listserv, Webpage, and the development of the Monday Morning Post! Your efforts, along with many others, have helped the Chapter develop a variety of communication avenues to Members including Tabling Events, Roadshows, Workshops, and Department Specific Meetings.
Additional Thank You’s go out to Joseph Didomizio, and Janet Schrum for their work on bringing your Chapter into the world of Social Media.
To have the Chapter show a greater VISIBILITY on the campuses of the university.
Thank You to all of you, Members of our Chapter, who have a UUP coffee mug on your desk, a UUP magnet on your car, a UUP poster (or more) in your office or on the window, a UUP Bulletin Board in your Department, and the various magnets and stickers that can be seen in various areas of the campuses. Keep wearing those UUP t-shirts not only here on campus but throughout your community!
Over these past years as your Chapter President, together we have faced and got through the challenges of the COVID Pandemic, and a Contract Negotiation. We have also seen the assignments of Matt Kibler as our Labor Relations Specialist replacing the retiring Tara Singer-Blumberg, Danielle Judge as our Chapter’s Statewide Organizer, and Alissa Karl as our Statewide Chapter Representative replacing the retiring Tom Tucker.
As we look forward to the newly elected Leadership team under the guidance of Kat Kielar, I am very proud to say the UUP Buffalo Center Chapter is stronger than ever! The new Chapter Leadership team is not only the largest but the most passionate group of individuals the Chapter has ever seen!
While I look forward to continuing to participate with the Chapter as a Board member and Delegate; I am extremely proud of the work that we all have done to make the Chapter as strong and as important to the business and personal lives of you, our Members.
We are only going to get bigger and better here!
Thank You All!!!