President
Michael Odom is a Senior Lecturer in the Department of English. He’s worked at UIUC for 21 years, 7 years as a graduate student and 14 years as a non-tenure track faculty. He’s been a member of NTFC since its inception and began his participation with the union when it was still part of the Campus Faculty Coalition. Inspired by the tireless work of the union’s past leadership, he feels it’s time for other members to step up and continue their good work.
Contact Mike here
Secretary
Shawn Gilmore is a Senior Lecturer in the Department of English. He’s been at UIUC faculty since 2010 and a member of NTFC since 2014. As the union’s first President for the past two and a half years, he chaired the Executive Council, guided the union through its first three years (including a strike and settling the first collective bargaining agreement), among other things. He would like to continue guiding the union through various roles, and is wrapping up his first year as Secretary. He aims to continue regularizing the union’s records, work on clarifying information, and ensuring that members have a clear sense of what the union does.
Contact Shawn here
Treasurer
Stephan
ie Fortado has been a Lecturer in the Labor Education Program for the past year and a half, and was a graduate student for the previous 7 years.
She has been a member of NTFC from the beginning of her employment as an NTT, and during that time has served as both a Steward and Organizing Chair. Since she has been back at the University of Illinois as faculty, the NTFC has been vital to her life on campus. Through NTFC she has had the opportunity to work with fantastic faculty from other departments. As the only non-tenured faculty in her building, it can sometimes be an isolating experience, but NTFC has provides her a space to connect with other people who care about our work experience. She would like to help support this organization that supports all of us. She was previously treasurer of the Graduate Employee Organization on campus in 2009-2010, so she has experience in this role in an Illinois Federation of Teachers local. For that reason, running for treasurer seemed like a good way to participate in the important work ahead for our union. She thinks the role of treasurer in a bargaining year can be important. As we prepare for bargaining in 2019, the treasurer can help think through the economic aspects of our proposals, and also work to ensure our budget puts us in the best possible position to support bargaining the contract. She would like to make our union’s budget more accessible to members to review, and she loves to make cookies for meetings.
Contact Stephanie here
Communications Chair
Amanda Bales is a Lecturer in the Department of English. In addition to being a member since she began working at UIUC 2 years ago, she has also been serving on the NTFC Stewards Council. She believes that collective bargaining is the best, and often only, way to protect workers and make certain all labor is respected and valued. The Communications Chair works to craft and executive outreach and information strategies for the Union. Without abandoning the union’s current platforms, she wants to help develop a greater digital presence in those communications efforts.
Contact Amanda here
Bargaining Research Chair
Jordan Sellers is an Instructor in the Department of English. He became UIUC faculty and a NTFC member in 2015 after also teaching at UIUC as a graduate student. Since 2018, he has served on the NTFC Stewards Council. As the chair of Bargaining Research, he researches and drafts contractual language to insure that member concerns are well-represented at the bargaining table. He’ll work to educate members about their existing rights under our Collective Bargaining Agreement while developing a contract that continues to improve the working conditions of our membership.
Contact Jordan here
