Rich Gulla wins approval of member delegates at Annual Convention
Newly elected officers and directors of SEA/SEIU Local 1984 take their oath of office on Sunday afternoon. They are, from left, Cindy Perkins – Director, Tammy Clark – Second Vice President, Rich Gulla – President, Ken Roos – First Vice President, Jim Nall – Director and Judith Brideau – Director. Not shown are Shelley Elmes – Secretary, and Ralph Tilton – Treasurer.
Editor’s note: A more complete recap of the 2014 SEA/SEIU Local 1984 Convention will appear in this Thursday’s SEA News.
On Sunday, the delegates at the 2014 SEA/SEIU Local 1984 Convention elected their leadership team for the next three years.
Rich Gulla, a resident of Hillsborough, was elected as the new SEA/SEIU Local 1984 President, unseating the incumbent, Diana Lacey.
Gulla, an employee of the NH State Liquor Commission, has been a member of SEA/SEIU Local 1984 since 1999. He became a member of the Board of Directors in December of 2012. Gulla is the current Chair of the Steward Committee and serves on the SEA Building Association Executive Board; the Political Education Committee; the Financial Advisory Committee; the Constitution and By-laws Committee; the Collective Bargaining Advisory Committee; the SEA Land Study Ad Hoc Committee; the Collective Bargaining Senate and the Master Bargaining Team for the Executive Branch.
“I am humbled by and grateful for the support of the delegates,” said Gulla. “I look forward to working with all SEA/SEIU Local 1984 members to continue to build and strengthen our union. I also thank Diana Lacey, who led the organization for the last four years and laid the foundation for our continued work.”
“I understand the magnitude of this position and am ready to accept the challenge,” said Gulla. “I will visit worksites throughout the state to listen to the needs and concerns of our members. I will then work closely with them in resolving any issues that may impede their ability to perform their jobs to the best of their abilities. I have the utmost respect for our members and the many services they provide for our towns, municipalities and our state.”
The delegates also re-elected Ken Roos as First Vice President; Tammy Clark as Second Vice President; Shelley Elmes will continue as Secretary; and Ralph Tilton will continue as Treasurer.
Jim Nall; Cindy Perkins; and Judith Brideau were elected to serve three-year terms as Board Director.
The Annual Convention is the highest governing body of the union. It is at convention that the organization’s most serious business is conducted. In addition to elections, this year’s delegation adopted one Resolution and one Constitutional Amendment.
Guest speakers included Governor Margaret Wood Hassan; political candidates U.S. Senator Jeanne Shaheen; U.S. Representatives Carol Shea-Porter and Annie Kuster, and NH Senator Lou D’Allesandro; NH Department Commissioners Chris Clement and George Copadis; and representatives from the SEIU International Union.