SEIU 503 members come together in many different ways to enrich our Union, run its operations or advise the Board of Directors. Joining a committee is a great way to get more involved in the work of SEIU 503.
Click on a committee to learn more
The committee plans a biennial stewards’ conference, monitors steward training, and assists with lists, selection and replacement language, and development of councils and other steward networks.
Learn more about becoming a steward.
| Stewards | Staff Advisors: Mandy Dye, Troy Barnard and Andrew Lucas | |
| Co-Chair Micki Varney | ODFW | Salem |
| Co-Chair Patty Falkenstein | HCW/PSW | Portland |
| Rhonda Morgan | DHS | Salem |
| Eric Warner | DHS | Seaside |
| Robin Gilbert | OYA | Grants Pass |
| Aidan Bammes | Marion County | Salem |
| Jo Hickerson | EOU | LaGrande |
| Rebecca Hernandez | Avamere | Sherwood |
| Michelle Lee Dawson | Avamere | Eugene |
| Nannette D. Carter-Jafri | HCW/PSW | Portland |
| Heath Curry | HCW/PSW | Gresham |
| Lori Eaton | HCW/PSW | Yachats |
Civil and Human Rights Committee promotes and monitors the union’s commitment to equal employment opportunity and administers the African/American, Asian/Desi/Pacific Islander, Indigenous, Latinx, and Lavender (LGBTQA+) caucuses to build a strong power base for pursuing issues of cultural diversity.
Get in touch by emailing us at CivilHumanRightsCommittee@seiu503.org.
| Civil and Human Rights | Staff Advisors: Courtney Graham & Maria Chavez Torres | ||
| Evan Berrs | DHS | Salem/Albany | Lavender Caucus |
| Nathaniel Boehm | Vet Affairs | Portland | Lavender Caucus |
| Lindsay Melton | DHS | Eugene | Indigenous Peoples' Caucus |
| Margaret Seltzer | OSH | Junction City | Indigenous Peoples' Caucus |
| Carmen Mayoral Arnbrister | DHS | Beaverton | Latinx Caucus |
| Tammy Tate-Houdroge | HCW/PSW | Portland | Women of Color Caucus |
| Gina Esqueda | DHS | Medford | Latinx Caucus |
| Renee Watson Taylor | HCW/PSW | Portland | Women of Color Caucus |
| Alverda McCoy | HCW/PSW | Portland | AFRAM |
| Juliet Greta Kabukuor Okunor | Childcare | Gresham | AFRAM |
| Thuy Huyen | PSU | Portland | ADPI |
| Theodora Ko Thompson | UO | Eugene | ADPI |
| Joy Vegar | HCW/PSW | Lakeside | Women's Council |
| Caucuses of the C&HR Committee | ||
| Lavender Caucus Email: LavenderCaucus@seiu503.org | Chairs: Greg Ivers and Temari Asazuki | Staff Advisors: Emily Sokolski & Kyndall Mason |
| AFRAM Caucus Email: AFRAMCaucus@seiu503.org | President: Ibrahim Coulibaly VP: Tammy Tate-Houdroge | Staff Advisors: Nima Mohamed & Brian Dunnaville |
| Latinx Caucus Email: LatinxCaucus@seiu503.org | Chair: Ivonne Rivero | Staff Advisor: Gabe Holguin & Belinda Ochoa |
| Indigenous Peoples Caucus Email: indigenouspeoplescaucus@seiu503.org | Chairs: Paula Pena and Nannette "D" Carter-Jafri | Staff Advisor: Nicthé Verdugo |
| Asian, Desi & Pacific Islander Caucus Email: adpicaucus@seiu503.org | Chair: Theodora Ko Thompson | Staff Advisor: Meng Chen and Andrew Kung |
| Womxn of Color Caucus Email: seiu503woccmembers@seiu503.org | Chairs: Emily Wang, Tammy Tate-Houdroge, Paula Pena – Vice-Chairs: Nannette D. Carter-Jafri, Theodora Ko Thompson – Treasurers: Hismelia Cartier, Ivonne Rivero – Secretary: Temari Asazuki, Renee Watson-Taylor | Staff Advisor: Luci Whitesell |
| Veterans' Caucus Email: wilsonm@seiu503.org | Staff Advisors: Francesca Edmonds and Matthew Wilson |
Membership Advantages Committee recommends Board action on benefit programs, policy positions on insurance programs, and maintenance, betterment, and promotion of workers’ compensation benefits.
| Membership Advantages | Staff Advisor: Rebecca Kozisek | |
| Lee Erickson | ODOT | Portland |
| Fatoumata Blakely | AFH | Salem |
| Josefina Riggs | HCW/PSW | Redmond |
| Saffa Sartie | HCW/PSW | Springfield |
| Riemer Mark Miedema | OSU | Keizer |
| Latoia Cash | HCW/PSW | Vancouver |
| Paula Pena | Dept. of Education | Salem |
Women’s Council plans conferences and institutes information, research, and lobbying programs that address issues of particular interest to the women of our union. This committee is comprised of members and a Chairperson appointed by the President and approved by the Board.
| Women's Council | Staff Advisor: Anandi van Diepen-Hedayat | |
| Co-Chair Ivonne Rivero | HCW/PSW | Portland |
| Co-Chair Stephanie Prentiss | UO | Eugene |
| Sara Clark | UO | Eugene |
| Carolyn Wirfs | SOU | Jacksonville |
| Alexandra Bautista | DHS/OHA | Beaverton |
| Theodora Ko Thompson | OU | Eugene |
| Heidi Hansell | Linn County | Albany |
| Megan Cohen | City of Beaverton | Beaverton |
| Kelly Yoshioka | Avamere | Tigard |
| Mykal Bruno | OSLP | Springfield |
| Stephanie Schroeder | OSLP | Eugene |
| Kelsey Gleeson | DHS | Salem |
| Mariana Praschnik-Enriquez | Dept. of Education | Salem |
| Susan Mundell | PERS | Hubbard |
| Tina Fowler | OSH | Salem |
| Bianca Bates | EOU | Elgin |
| Rhonda Morgan | DHS/OHA | Salem |
| Joy'e Willman | HCW | Portland |
| Malika Edden Hill | OHA | Portland |
| Noemi Osorio | HCW/PSW | Gresham |
| Vivian Regalado | HCW/PSW | Portland |
| Allison Varga | OHA | Beaverton |
| Joy Vegar | HCW | Coos Bay/N Bend |
| Hope Yamasaki | HCW/PSW | Portland |
| Temari Asazuki | HCW/PSW | Portland |
| Reigna Rushford | DHS | Astoria |
| Nancy Diamond | Retiree | Beaverton |
Staff Screening Committee collects and reviews applications, conducts interviews and makes recommendations to the Executive Director or Department Supervisor.
| Staff Screening | Staff Advisors: Maureen Crawford & Mariko Yoshioka | |
| Co-Chair Angelica Ceja Ochoa | OSH | Salem |
| Co-Chair Ron Strle | Prestige | Hood River |
| Theodora Ko Thompson | UO | Eugene |
| Catherine Stearns | Retiree | Corvallis |
| Sally Baudoin | Avalon | Springfield |
| Hismelia Carter | DHS | Keizer |
| Stacy Hinojosa | DHS | Grants Pass |
| Chaz Dutoit | HCW/PSW | Eugene |
| Steve Green | HCW/PSW | Florence |
| Inge Gill | HCW/PSW | Salem |
| Nick Sloss | UO | Eugene |
The Climate Justice Committee advocates for a green jobs future.
| Members | Staff Advisor: Jay Parasco | |
| Co-Chair Twila Jacobsen | Retiree | Eugene |
| Co-Chair Lois Yoshishige | UO | Eugene |
| Austin Folnagy | Employment | Vida |
| Carolynn Kohout | HCW | Hillsboro |
| Aislyn Matias | PSU | Beaverton |
| Adam Mohr | ODFW | Roseburg |
| Mike Scott | ODOT | Beaverton |
| Samhita Dixit | WOU | Monmouth |
| Ethan Leiby | Marion County | Salem |
| Laura Tesler | ODFW | Salem |
| Adam Korst | City of Beaverton | Beaverton |
Union Finance Committee develops plans for adequately financing the union, presents an annual budget to the Board, and regularly reviews the fiscal operation of the union.
| Finance Committee | Staff Advisor: Melissa Unger | |
| Chair Mary Stewart | Revenue | Eugene |
| Theo Ko Thompson | UO | Eugene |
| Rebecca Sandoval | HCW/PSW | Medford |
| Taylor Bacon | Parry Center | Portland |
| Carl Nolte | AFH | Bend |
| Joy'e Willman | HCW/PSW | Portland |
| Helen Moore | EOU | La Grande |
| Thuy Huyen | PSU | Portland |
| Ibrahim Coulibaly | BOLI | Junction City |
| Andrea Kennedy-Smith | DHS | Hillsboro |
| Cristal DeJarnac | HCW/PSW | Central Oregon |
| Colleen Martin Low | SOU | Prospect |
Rules Committee promotes the consistency of rules as set forth in the Union’s Bylaws and Administrative Policies and Procedures, making recommendations to the Board on issues requiring clarification.
| Rules | Staff Advisor: Jared Franz | |
| Chair Andrea Kennedy Smith | DHS/OHA | Hillsboro |
| Steve Demarest | Employment Department | Portland |
| Gina Esqueda | DHS | Medford |
| Evan Berss | DHS | Albany |
| Max Brown | DHS | Portland |
| Martin Ramirez | DHS | Medford |
| Bobbie Sotin | HCW/PSW | North Bend |
Member Representation Committee recommends Board action on matters concerning negotiation and representation of employees, election appeals and recall elections, allegations of a breach of the union’s duty of fair representation, internal union disputes, and contract ratification procedures.
| Member Representation | Staff Advisor: Shirin Khosravi | |
| Chair Erin Selvey | City of Springfield | Springfield |
| Catherine Stearns | Retiree | Corvallis |
| Ehren Vaughn | Employment | Tigard |
| Guillermo Romero | DHS | Astoria |
| Rebecca Hernandez | Avamere | Sherwood |
| Terry Haydon | HCW/PSW | Corvallis |
Member/Local Union Organizing Committee designs and supports programs in which members work on behalf of the union while on leave or release from their current employment.
Get in touch with us via email at MemberLocalUnionOrganizingCommittee@seiu503.org.
| Member Local Organizing | Staff Advisor: Vanessa Veselka | |
| Chair Carmen Morales Arnbrister | DHS | Beaverton |
| James M Scanlan | Employment | Independence |
| Lee Erickson | ODOT | Portland |
| Stacey Seal | CODA | Woodburn |
| Robin Gilbert | OYA | Grants Pass |
| Adam Korst | City of Beaverton | Beaverton |
Hardship Committee sets standards and criteria for local Hardship Committees for providing limited and short-term assistance to members.
| Hardship Committee | Staff Advisor: Keith Quick and Aaron Giesa | |
| Chair Deanna Boylan | DHS | Grants Pass |
| Staphanie Prentiss | UO | Eugene |
| Michelle DeParrie | DHS | Portland |
| Kaitlyn Gekeler | EOU | LaGrande |
| Andrea Clark | HCW/PSW | Eugene |
| Michelle Wickliff | Employment | Portland |
| Patrick Kagwima | Avamere | Portland |
Committee to Protect Injured Workers organizes, educates, and mobilizes around the issues of workers’ compensation, insurance, safety, and health.
Pension and Thrift Committee includes two members who help monitor the plan, implementation, and pension funds investment of the SEIU Local 503, OPEU staff retirement plan.
| Pension and Thrift Committee | Staff Advisor and Committee Chair: Linda DeLauder | |
| Sarah Johnson | SEIU 503 Ops Director | Salem |
| Andrew Boeger | SEIU 503 Researcher | Salem |
| Aurora Lang | SEIU 503 Finance | Salem |
| Mike Powers | SEIU 503 President | Salem |
| Mary Stewart | SEIU 503 Treasurer | Eugene |
Fight Contracting Out Committee is charged with developing expertise in how to fight privatization and acts as a rapid response team to assist in fighting any contracting out efforts.
| Fight Contracting Out Committee | Staff Advisors: Mike Filippelli | Melissa Gustav |
| Chair Bernardo Tuma | Dept. of Education | Portland |
| Scott Conover | OHA | Salem |
| Angelica Ceja Ochoa | OSH | Aumsville |
| Nikola Davis | Dept. of Justice | Portland |
| Teresa Rodriguez | Addus | Eugene |
| James M Scanlan | Employment | Independence |
| Ronald Maes | ODOT | Happy Valley |
| Deffo Mebrat | AFH | Gresham |
| Saffa Sartie | HCW/PSW | Springfield |
Operations Committee. Appointments TBD.
Code of Conduct Committee
| Code of Conduct Committee | Staff Advisors: Nima Mohamed & Mariko Yoshioka | |
| Carmen Morales Arnbrister | DHS | Beaverton |
| Rhonda Morgan | DHS | Salem |
| Tammy Tate | HCW/PSW | Portland |
| Theodora Ko Thompson | UO | Eugene |
| Steve Demarest | Employment Department | Portland |
| Ivonne Rivero | HCW/PSW | Portland |
| Lindsay Melton | DHS | Springfield |
| Taylor Bacon | Parry Center | Portland |
| Josefina Riggs | HCW/PSW | Redmond |
Standing Committees
NOTE: President Mike Powers serves as a non-voting ex-officio member of all Standing Committees. (Bylaws Article XIV, section 1 (f))
Union Finance Committee
Rules Committee
Member Representation Committee
Stewards’ Committee
Climate Justice Committee
Standing Committees by AP&P
Membership Advantages Committee
Staff Screening Committee
Civil and Human Rights Committee
Member/Local Union Organizing Committee
Hardship Committee
Committee to Protect Injured Workers
Pension and Thrift Committee
Fight Contracting Out Committee
Special Councils
Women’s Council
Universal Health Care Committee: Wes Brain (Chair), Emily Wang, Ivonne Rivero, Steve Demarest, Nadine Sando, Joy’e Willman, Max Brown, Twila Jacobsen, Mike Powers (ad hoc).