Tell us about your job.
I am a Professor of Language and Literature, in the English Department at Fairmont State University. I love to teach World Novel and 20th-Century British Literature.
How long have you been working in education?
I’ve been doing this since 1991, so 18 years.
What’s the best thing about your job?
My students and my colleagues.
Prior to your activism in AFT, did you have any experience with a union?
I grew up in Detroit. Also, I went on a school tour to the River Rouge plant when I was in fourth grade. I have never forgotten it and knew instantly that whatever those men working with molten steel were being paid could never be enough to compensate for the danger and horrors of their jobs.
How did you become involved or why did you join the union?
I originally joined the union to help faculty members gain a voice on campus and in the legislature. The president of Fairmont State at that time, as did members of the legislature, encouraged faculty to form a union as a way of having faculty voices heard in the legislature. That encouragement lasted until we actually brought a union to campus.
What I discovered almost immediately after joining the AFT is that I no longer hesitated to object to poor administrative practices on campus. While I see AFT as vital and necessary to achieve the most good for the most people through legislative action, I also see it as a check and balance for administrative practices and as a way to protect our members from capricious or unfair actions.
Describe any roles have you had in the union or your profession...in your school, your local or in the state.
I am president of AFT-Fairmont State /Pierpont C&TC. I am a member of the state Executive Board. I am a trustee of the Marion County Central Labor Council. I am a member of the Fairmont State Legislative Advocacy Committee. I have worked on Employee Free Choice and on Health Reform local campaigns.
Describe a rewarding experience that you have had through your involvement in the union.
I can’t think of an experience I have had through the union or in the union that has not been rewarding. I have met wonderful people and have made terrific friends. The union has helped me know more people across campus and across the state than before I joined the union. I have had opportunities to see Ted Kennedy, Hillary Clinton, Bill Clinton, and Barack Obama speak. I have been given opportunities to meet legislators and other people in the state in order to speak to union issues. I love being in AFT.
What hobbies and interests do you enjoy in your leisure time?
I have a 14-year-old daughter on whom I shower affection and time. I love the ocean. I love to travel. I love to be in Jackson Hole, WY. If I could find a way not to freeze, I’d stay in the ocean 24 hours at a shot or sit on top of a mountain through winter.
What is your favorite book or quote?
The book I am currently reading, no matter what it is, is usually my favorite book.