Charles Johnson
President
Department of Correction
Central Prison
Correctional Captain
19-year SEANC member
19-year state employee
Q: What other positions have you held at both the statewide and district levels?
A: On the district level, I’ve served as vice chairman and chairman of District 45. At the statewide level, I’ve served as regional representative to the Executive Committee, 2nd vice president and president.
Q: Why is SEANC important to you?
A: That’s simple – SEANC is a voice for working families. It’s so important for working families and the middle class to have a voice because otherwise, no one else is out there speaking for us. The middle class has been under attack over the last few years. Benefits that should be reasonable for a lifetime of hard work and public service – such as fair pay, health care, a retirement benefit and opportunities for job growth – are being portrayed by some people as an unfair burden on government. SEANC is important to me because it represents what we should all protect – the voice and heart of the middle class.
Q: What is your No. 1 goal for SEANC this year?
A: My biggest goal is to increase recruitment. We really need to grow our organization if we have any hope of making our voices as loud as they can be. We need to have all state workers from all agencies involved – because that’s the only way the General Assembly is going to hear us and respect what we’ve got to say.
Sidney Sandy
1st Vice President
Retired - Department of Transportation
30+year SEANC member
33-year state employee
Q: What other positions have you held at both the statewide and district levels?
A: At the statewide level, I’ve served in several positions for many, many years. I’ve served as treasurer, 2nd vice president, 1st vice president, regional representative to the Executive Committee for both the west and the piedmont (because of redistricting), and chairman of the membership, personnel benefits and policy platform committees. I also served as the Area 6 EMPAC chairman. On the district level, I’ve served as chairman a total of four years. I’ve also served as vice chairman in my district and have enjoyed working at that level with the development of policy platform objectives and EMPAC goals.
Q: Why is SEANC important to you?
A: Since I started working for the state, it was always a concern of mine to protect and grow benefits. I wasn’t as active with SEANC in my earlier years but as I got older, I started to realize more and more the importance of issues like pay, health care and retirement. When you really get down to it though, SEANC is just near and dear to my heart. Some state employees don’t care about what the General Assembly is doing for them. And unfortunately, they sometimes don’t realize how the General Assembly may be working against them. One of the things I love about SEANC is that it allows members to serve as messengers to employees who aren’t as informed about what’s going on with their benefits and rights. And serving as a messenger to employees who aren’t members is a lot like teaching students in a classroom. I love that moment when they suddenly “get it” and realize what SEANC is doing for them.
Q: What’s your No. 1 goal for SEANC this year?
A: I really feel like it’s a priority for us to stay active in the General Assembly. It’s great to look back at what we’ve done and I know that we should celebrate that – but I also think we need to stay focused on moving things forward and accomplishing new goals. I sometimes hear folks say that certain goals are unrealistic – that many of the benefits we want and deserve as state employees just can’t be gained. But I’m here to tell you that it can be done. Beyond the General Assembly, we definitely need more volunteers doing legislative breakfasts at district meetings, going to job sites and getting membership recruitment up. All of these things will keep the word out to protect our rights and benefits with the state.
Tony Smith
Past President
Department of Correction
Foothills Correctional Institution
Maintenance Supervisor
20-year SEANC member
20-year state employee
Q: What other positions have you held at both the statewide and district levels?
A: At the district level, I’ve held just about every position available. I was vice chairman of our district and chairman for two years. I’ve also been on the Bylaws, Fundraising and EMPAC committees. I served as the Area 3 EMPAC chairman for two years. I wanted to learn everything about the organization that I could!
On the statewide level, I served as the Western region representative to the Executive Committee for two years. I also served as treasurer, and during that time, I was moved to second vice president due to the resignation of the first vice president. I was first vice president for one year, and I spent two years as president. This is my second term as past president.
Q: Why is SEANC important to you?
A: SEANC’s important to me because of what we do. It’s important to me that we protect the rights and benefits of all state employees. When I signed up for SEANC membership, I never intended to be involved. I’ve never been involved in anything – I’ve always sat on the sidelines. Johnny Burnette said, “I’ve created a monster!” But there’s something about SEANC that just set me on fire. I fell in love with the organization.
Q: What’s your No. 1 goal for SEANC this year?
A: I would like to see real growth. I feel like with everything we accomplished in this year’s legislative session, the potential is there for us to grow and for our members to support what we stand for – to make us bigger, better and stronger! Membership equals growth, but I still think we have the potential to get stronger with legislative issues. We used to be kittens, now we’re absolute tigers – what a change! I’m just glad to be a part of it.
Doranna Anderson
2nd Vice President
Department of Health and Human Safety
Oral Health Section
Oral Health Education and Promotion Branch Head
15-year SEANC member
15-year state employee
Q: What other positions have you held at both the statewide and district levels?
A: On the statewide level, I have been a regional representative to the Executive Committee, served on the Communications Committee and been a member of Area 10 EMPAC. On the district level, I am a past chairwoman, I served as the chairwoman for three years, vice chairwoman, secretary/treasurer, and I have served as the chairwoman of the Retiree, Scholarship, Policy Platform and Member Discount committees. I am currently the Membership Chairwoman for District 47.
Q: Why is SEANC important to you?
A: I think SEANC gives all state employees a strong voice because our voices are united together. Active state employees can’t always advocate for issues that are related to their work. SEANC can go to the legislative building and protect benefits that would be difficult to do as an individual and would not make the same impact. In a way, SEANC can speak when I can’t. With 55,000 members, when we speak, we speak as a collective group working for better working conditions, pay and benefits. We are stronger together.
Q: What’s your No. 1 goal for SEANC this year?
A: I want to help to recruit members! I want to show state employees who aren’t members the value and importance of SEANC. The association has so many benefits – from our legislative program to our insurance benefits to our member discount program. I want to help state employees realize that by becoming a member of SEANC, they’re helping themselves and their coworkers. I also want to work with districts to provide any assistance they may need and to encourage members to become more engaged with SEANC.
Marilyn Jean Martin
Treasurer
Department of Correction
Piedmont Correctional Institution
Correctional Captain
30-year SEANC member
30-year state employee
Q: What other positions have you held at both the statewide and district levels?
A: On the statewide level, I have been the treasurer, served as an Executive Committee member as a regional representative, served on the Collective Bargaining and Policy Platform committees and served as the officer liaison to many other committees. On the district level, I have served as district chairwoman, vice chairwoman, secretary/treasurer (which I am currently), chairwoman of the district’s Insurance, Policy Platform, Communications and Membership committees. I’ve also served on the Scholarship Committee, and I am currently the Area 6 EMPAC secretary.
Q: Why is SEANC important to you?
A: I want to help ensure that state employees – at the very least – maintain their retirement, benefits, and a living wage. I want to ensure that their personnel safeguards remain intact. I don’t want people to have to work in positions where they are subject to abuse, discrimination or condemnation. I want citizens of North Carolina to know that state employees are valued members of the state citizenry and that we provide very vital services. I want taxpayers to know that they can depend on state employees to look out after their needs. SEANC facilitates that. I learned the value of SEANC from prior employment. I worked for a furniture manufacturer where employees – especially females – were treated poorly. When I took a job in state government, I realized SEANC was the catalyst for ensuring all employees were treated fairly. SEANC helped to make state employment a non-discriminatory, non-harassment environment for all people. No, state employment is not perfect, but thanks to SEANC, we’ve made tremendous strides over the past 30 years.
Q: What’s your No. 1 goal for SEANC this year?
A: As the treasurer, my No. 1 goal is to ensure that SEANC remains on solid financial ground. I also want to make sure that legislators are held to a standard that is positive in nature toward state employees. I want to communicate with members on issues that will be of importance to us during the legislative year. I also want to help build membership by doing outreach to other state employees who don’t realize the vital importance of what SEANC has done for them, regardless of job titles or positions.