Our Team
WHO WE ARE
Meet the officers and staff on Michigan AFL-CIO’s team. The Michigan AFL-CIO is staffed by a team of folks dedicated to improving the lives of working families, bringing economic justice to the workplace and social justice to our state and the nation.
Ron Bieber
PRESIDENT
Daryl Newman
SECRETARY-TREASURER
Derek Dobies
CHIEF OF STAFF
Meg Ciancirulo
EXECUTIVE SECRETARY
Stephanie Brown
CONTROLLER
Zinnia Kallabat
OPERATIONS DIRECTOR
Ryan Sebolt
DIRECTOR OF GOVERNMENT AFFAIRS
Michael Davis
ORGANIZING DIRECTOR
Beth Kelly
CAMPAIGNS DIRECTOR
Chris Palette
NATIONAL AFL-CIO DATA COORDINATOR
Luke Canfora
NATIONAL AFL-CIO SENIOR FIELD REPRESENTATIVE
Jamiel Martin
METRO DETROIT AFL-CIO
Conner Wood
HURON VALLEY AREA LABOR FOUNDATION
Eric Welsby
MID-MICHIGAN AREA LABOR COUNCIL
Alex Gustafson
UPPER PENINSULA REGIONAL LABOR FOUNDATION
Bill Elliot
BUILDING MANAGER
Advocates
Michigan AFL-CIO Advocates is our public advocacy nonprofit organization. Our mission is to unite labor leaders, policy makers, and the general public to educate and advocate around policies, programs and projects that can bring economic justice to the workplace and social justice to communities across Michigan.
Jasmine Kaltenbach
Executive Director
Jasmine Kaltenbach was born and raised in Dearborn, Michigan where she comes from a family of union members. While attending the University of Michigan, Jasmine participated in student activist movements on campus and in College Democrats. She recently ran a competitive mayoral race in Jackson, Michigan and has experience in sales, field organizing, event planning, and fundraising.
She is excited to work at the Michigan AFL-CIO advancing pro-labor municipal policies that will help Michigan’s working families. Jasmine is a member of UAW Local 1981.
Labor Foundation
The Michigan AFL-CIO Labor Foundation is our affiliated charitable nonprofit organization. Our mission is to curtail generational economic and social injustice through long-term investment in the memorialization, education, and association of the Michigan labor movement within our communities.
Patty Farhat
Archivist
Patty Farhat is the most tenured employee in Michigan State AFL-CIO history, first hired in 1969 by then-President August (Gus) Scholle. She has held the following positions: Jr. Bookkeeper, Legislative Secretary, Staff Secretary, Secretary to Secretary-Treasurer Walter Oliver and Secretary to Presidents William C Marshall, Frank D. Garrison and Mark Gaffney.
Patty also served under Presidents Karla Swift and Ron Bieber, was Recording Secretary for Union Label and Service Trades Department, and the Secretary to Health and Safety Director. After 50 years of service, she was honored with a prestigious Lifetime Service Award from the Michigan AFL-CIO.
She joined the Labor Foundation as its Archivist in 2020.
Workforce Development Institute
The Michigan AFL-CIO Workforce Development Institute is our affiliated nonprofit developing the next generation of Michigan workers. Our mission is to combat economic and environmental injustice by connecting the unemployed or underemployed with the training and resources necessary to find gainful employment and transition to a cleaner, greener economy.
Missy Guth-Beach
CEO
Teresa Ouderkirk
FISCAL MANAGER
Andrew Niedzinski
ASSISTANT OPERATIONS AND TRAINING MANAGER
Saher Abdulmalek
BUSINESS SERVICE REP
Kimberly Allen-Bradfield
BUSINESS SERVICE REP
Annette Donnelly
CONTRACT MANAGER
Sam Dougherty
REGIONAL MANAGER
Kiah Esaw
CASE MANAGER
T. Blain Farr
BUSINESS SERVICE REP
Michelle Fowler
TECH SPEC/CAREER COACH
Julie Gregory
TECHNICAL SPECIALIST III
Beverly Hogan
CASE MANAGER
Missy Laferty
BUSINESS SERVICE REP
Walt Lodes
OPERATIONS/TRAINING MANAGER
Lori McVay
CAREER COACH
Ron Merritt
CASE MANAGER
Ken Miller
BUSINESS SERVICE REP
Sandy Payne
TECHNICAL SPEICALIST III
Cheryl Sanford
SE DIRECTOR OF OPERATIONS
Will Slone
CAREER COACH
Myra Taylor
COMPLIANCE COORDINATOR
Brianna Ward
CAREER COACH
Brittney Widner
CAREER COACH
Sandy Payne
TECHNICAL SPECIALIST III
Community Services
The Michigan AFL-CIO Community Services Department represents the partnership between the Michigan AFL-CIO and the Michigan Association of United Ways. The convening provides education, training, and service opportunities for union members to join with local United Ways in developing powerful responses to challenges faced in communities across Michigan.
Michele Basemore
METRO-DETROIT AFL-CIO
Tiffany Bush
UW SOUTHEASTERN MI
Jesse Cloman Sr.
UW GENESEE COUNTY
Alicia Dennis
UW SOUTHEASTERN MI
Richard Franz
TRI-COUNTY LABOR AGENCY
Glenn Freeman III
CAPITAL AREA UW
Archie Gittens
UW BAY COUNTY
Tanise Hill
SE MICHIGAN UW
Steve Lamb
UW SAGINAW COUNTY
Teresa McGinnis
UW GENESEE COUNTY
Sheila Pedersen
UW WASHTENAW COUNTY
David Pawloski
UW BATTLE CREEK/KALAMAZOO
Dean Poggiali
CAPITAL AREA UW
Janavive Routt
UW LAKESHORE
Michael Smith
UW MONROE/LENAWEE
Dan TenHoopen
HEART OF WEST MI UW
Colleen Sullivan
UW JACKSON COUNTY
Robert Cramer
MI ASSOCIATION UW
