Officers & Boards

OFFICERS

President Kera Peterson

Kera Peterson was elected president of the Saint Paul Regional Labor Federation by delegates in January 2020. Peterson previously served as the RLF’s political director. She is a member of Machinists Local Lodge 737, based in the Twin Cities. Peterson has served as vice president of Local Lodge 459 and of Machinists District Council 77. She currently serves as second vice president of the Machinists State Council and as a member of the Minnesota AFL-CIO General Board.

Peterson has been part of the Saint Paul RLF political staff since 2008. Previously, she served as an AFL-CIO Community Services liaison with the RLF’s nonprofit Labor Studies and Resource Center and, earlier, with the Saint Croix Valley Central Labor Council.

Peterson has worked closely with labor assemblies in Chisago, Ramsey and Washington counties, helping establish support for labor campaigns in those areas. She has directed efforts to elect more labor-endorsed candidates in the east metro’s swing legislative districts. And she has represented the federation in coalitions working to raise the statewide minimum wage and establish new local labor standards in Saint Paul.

Executive Vice President

Perry Schmidt, Letter Carriers Branch 28

Secretary-Treasurer

Bernadine Engeldorf, Minnesota Nurses Association

Sergeant-at-Arms

Jennifer Guertin, AFSCME Council 5

Vice Presidents/Labor Assembly Chairs

• Washington County Assembly: Brian Beedle, Carpenters Local 87
• Dakota County Assembly: Connie Beissel, Letter Carriers Branch 9
• Ramsey County Assembly: Martin Hoerth, AFSCME Council 5
• Chisago County Assembly: Michael Madden, Machinists Local Lodge 112

Trustees

Tom Edwards, APWU Local 65
Jamie McNamara, IBEW Local 110
Paul Slattery, Teamsters Local 120

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BOARDS & COMMITTEES

Executive Board

(At Large)
Wendell Bell, IATSE Local 13
Dave Butts, Amalgamated Transit Union Local 1005
Dave Cook, APWU Local 65
Wade Luneburg, UNITE HERE Local 17
Nile Mills, Office and Professional Employees (OPEIU) Local 12
Don Mullin, Saint Paul Building and Construction Trades Council
Jeremy Olson, Bricklayers & Allied Craftworkers Local 1
Carrie Roth, LIUNA Local 563
Mary Sansom, Machinists Local 1833
Tim Sturdivant, Cement Masons (OPCMIA) Local 633
Diana Tastad-Damer, United Food & Commercial Workers Local 1189
Rick Varco, SEIU Healthcare Minnesota and Iowa

(Minnesota AFL-CIO Geographical Representatives)
Dean Gale, Plumbers Local 34
Scott Seath, Steamfitters Pipefitters Local 455
Stacy Vanderport, Mounds View Education Association
Art Hill, IUPAT District Council 82
Jennifer Michelson, Minnesota Nurses Association
Mike Hoppe, IBEW Local 23
Suzanne Markham-Kocurek, AFSCME Council 5
Bob Ryan, United Steelworkers District 11
Leah Vandassor, Saint Paul Federation of Teachers
Kelly Gibbons, SEIU Local 284
Jennifer Guertin, AFSCME Council 5

Committee on Political Education (COPE)

(at large, also includes Executive Board members)
Travis Lohmann, United Steelworkers District 11-75
Bob Mayer, St. Paul RLF Retirees
Rod Naseth, United Steelworkers Local 11-418