The State Employees Association of North Carolina elected a new slate of officers to lead the association in the upcoming year Friday at SEANC’s annual convention at the Joseph S. Koury Convention Center in Greensboro. They begin their one-year term on Oct. 1, 2014.

The newly elected officers ran on a platform calling for increased state employee and retiree compensation, increased transparency in the $90 billion state retirement system and a continuation of SEANC’s fight to reduce excessive Wall Street money managers fees from the system. They are:

President – Wayne Fish of Maggie Valley, a correctional food services manager II at Craggy Correctional Center in Asheville.

Fish told delegates, “SEANC is on the verge of true pension transparency reform and our struggle with the North Carolina Treasurer is being reported on around the nation. People are watching this closely and I’m afraid it won’t end well for Madame Treasurer if she doesn’t open up the record books and disclose those secret fees she keeps paying with our pension dollars! That’s our money not hers!”

He works as a correctional food service manager II at the Department of Safety with 16 years of state service. He is a graduate of Asheville-Buncombe Community College and Madison High School. He previously served as SEANC’s Employees Committee Political Action Committee as its chairman for the past three years and its vice chairman and as a District 2 chairman on the SEANC Board of Governors. In addition to his SEANC service, Fish serves as Region II Director of the Association of Correctional Food Service Affiliates.  

“Wayne Fish has been living and breathing politics his entire life. His leadership will guide our membership organization to greater accomplishments,” SEANC Executive Director Dana Cope said.

First Vice President – Ross Hailey of Washington, a retired Department of Transportation engineer.

“I hope to help this association grow,” Hailey said. “We need to reach out to all state employees and let them know that SEANC is here for them. And as a retiree, I am concerned with the security of our retirement system and what is being done with our money. I plan to be at the legislature a lot in the next year helping our lobbying staff to achieve our goals.”

Hailey, a 27-year state employee before retirement and SEANC member for more than 40 years, worked as an engineer with the Department of Transportation prior to his retirement in 2003. He has been elected chairman of District 58, which includes Greene, Johnston and Wayne counties, nine times.

“Ross Hailey has the experience and the strong moral compass needed to help lead our great association. SEANC is honored to have him on our leadership team,” SEANC Executive Director Dana Cope said.

Second Vice President – Stanley Drewery of Grifton, retired from both the Department of Transportation and the Department of Public Safety.

Drewery, who is originally from Spring Hope, has been a member of SEANC and its predecessor, the North Carolina State Government Employees Association, for 32 years, retiring from state government in 2012. He spent 10 years with the Department of Transportation and 20 years with the Department of Public Safety. Today he works on contract with Pitt, Lenoir and Craven community colleges training DPS employees.

Drewery has served on the statewide Policy Platform Committee and as chairman of the Bylaws Committee, the Membership Committee and the Insurance Board of Trustees. He also has served as his District 67 (Carteret, Craven, Jones and Pamlico counties) chairman and eastern region representative on the SEANC Board of Governors, as well as the Area 13 Employees Political Action Committee chairman and vice chairman.

“I want to give back my knowledge and experience, and support SEANC’s fight for state employees,” Drewery said. “The General Assembly would overlook state employees if we weren’t lobbying.”

“Stanley Drewery has dedicated his life to keeping North Carolina’s citizens safe. SEANC is honored to have him on our leadership team,” SEANC Executive Director Dana Cope said.

General Treasurer – Gloria Evans of Winterville, an administrative support specialist with the East Carolina University School of Medicine.

Evans, who has been a SEANC member for 13 years and a state employee for 13 years, joined the association on her first day on the job. She works as an administrative support specialist in the clinical financial services department for the East Carolina University School of Medicine in Greenville.

“I see myself as someone who will work to take care of state employees,” she says. “SEANC is the organization that has helped me keep my employee rights and benefits and receive pay increases. Without SEANC, we wouldn’t have a voice. We wouldn’t have any representation in the legislature.”

Evans is a member of SEANC District 65, which encompasses ECU. She has served as a district secretary and chairwoman, with a seat also on the SEANC Board of Governors. In addition, she has served as an eastern region representative and a member of the statewide planning committee. She also serves on the North Carolina Human Resources Commission.

“State employees made a great choice in selecting Gloria Evans as the next SEANC general treasurer. With her deep financial background, she will serve SEANC well,” SEANC Executive Director Dana Cope said.

Statewide EMPAC Chairman – Tony Smith of Morganton, a maintenance supervisor at Foothills Correctional Institution in Morganton.

Smith said he hopes to continue to grow the PAC and continue its nonpartisan philosophy of “no permanent friends and no permanent enemies, only permanent issues.” He plans to hold the politicians that receive EMPAC’s coveted endorsements to high standards at the General Assembly as well.
Smith, a 22-year state employee and SEANC member, was chosen as the Statewide EMPAC Chairman by a majority of the 862 delegates at the 31st Annual SEANC Convention at the Joseph S. Koury Convention Center in Greensboro on Friday. His one-year term will start on Oct. 1, 2014.

With the victory, Smith has now held every position in SEANC’s statewide leadership. He served as president of the association from 2008-2010 and most recently served as the Western Region Representative to the Executive Committee in 2013-14. He was also chairman of District 5, which includes Burke, Caldwell and McDowell counties.

“Tony Smith has been an effective leader in our association for years. He led the effort to stop privatization of prison maintenance in the General Assembly. I know he will do great things for our members,” SEANC Exective Director Dana Cope said.

In addition, Sidney M. Sandy will serve on SEANC’s Executive Committee as Immediate Past President. Sandy is retired from the Department of Transportation and lives in Indian Trail.

SEANC, SEIU Local 2008, is the South’s leading state employee association 55,000 members strong. With 2.1 million members, SEIU is the fastest-growing union in North America. To keep up on SEANC’s daily news, follow us on Twitter @SEANC2008 and “like” us on Facebook at facebook.com/SEANC.Local2008.