Delegates elect new state officers at HPAE’s 2018 Convention

Debbie White, former president of HPAE Local 5105, was elected HPAE President by delegates at the 2018 HPAE Convention in Atlantic City on October 5. Barbara Rosen, who had been serving as HPAE Secretary-Treasurer, was elected HPAE First Vice-President, and Alexis Rean-Walker, Co-President of HPAE Local 5094, was elected HPAE Secretary-Treasurer. All three were sworn in at the Convention by AFT President, Randi Weingarten.

Debbie White has been a registered nurse at Virtua Memorial Hospital for 27 years and was involved in the initial organizing at her worksite in 1996. She was elected President of Local 5105 in 2010 and served on the HPAE State Executive Committee for seven years, most recently as chair.

Debbie succeeds founding HPAE President, Ann Twomey, who, since 1974 grew the union from 250 members at Englewood Hospital and Medical Center to nearly 14,000 nurses and health professionals across New Jersey and Philadelphia. Ann has led numerous public campaigns designed to protect patient care and working conditions in NJ hospitals, including a ban on forced overtime for RNs and public disclosure of staffing levels.

Barbara Rosen, a nurse educator and critical care nurse, worked to organize the union at Bergen Pines Hospital, now New Bridge Medical Center. She served as President of Local 5091 and led a successful strike at Bergen Regional Medical Center in 2004. Barbara served as HPAE Secretary-Treasurer for the past eight years.

Barbara succeeds retiring HPAE First-Vice President Bernie Gerard, who was a trauma nurse at University Hospital, and a founding leader in 1989 of the RN union at the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey (UMDNJ). Bernie served as HPAE First Vice-President for 22 years.

Alexis Rean-Walker was elected HPAE Secretary-Treasurer as Barbara Rosen ascends to First Vice President. Alexis worked for over 29 years at the UMDNJ – now part of Rutgers University, as a Senior Project Management Analyst and backup Treasury Analyst in the HPAE professional bargaining unit. Alexis is Co-President of Local 5094 and has been a member of the HPAE State Executive Committee for the past three years.

Click here to learn more about HPAE’s elected officers.

Congratulations to Ann and Bernie on their retirement. As a union of health professionals, we are honored to have had Ann Twomey lead us through this journey and we look forward to building upon her legacy. We will miss Bernie Gerard’s enthusiasm and energy which has led so many health professionals to stand up for themselves and their patients in their workplace.

Congratulations to our new HPAE officers on their election, together we will proudly carry on the great work of our union.