Learn About The Candidates

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All candidate biographies for union elections are written and submitted solely by the candidates themselves. The union does not edit, correct, supplement, or provide any form of assistance in the preparation of these submissions.

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2026 AO/CR Election Candidate Bios

ATNC Secretary

Jordan Shilling

Hi! I’m Jordan and I’m an outpatient PT in Union City. I’ve served in many union leadership roles over the years: Workload Committee Co-Lead, Steward, Volunteer Member Organizer, Contract Action Team Captain, Union Timer, and most recently ATNC Secretary. I hope to bring my diverse experience and feedback from membership to improve our collective experience as Kaiser employees. I know this has been an especially tough year for many of us. I aim to help ease the transition of many of these big changes happening for our affiliate. I jumped into union work because I experienced erosion in my ability to provide care in a way that I felt proud of at the end of my day. KP’s decision-making has been increasingly frustrating during my 10 years with the organization. I felt that I couldn’t complain unless I tried to do something about it! I’d like to rebuild the KP-union partnership so every member of our union can be proud of the care we provide for our patients. I would love to continue to grow in my role. I’d be grateful for your vote!

DASH President

Renée D. Cowen

Thank you for taking the time to read this. I am seeking the position of DASH President because I believe our affiliate needs strong leadership, open communication, and steadfast advocacy for every member. This September marked my 25th anniversary with KP and my 27th year as an RD. I grew up learning about unions from my uncle, who retired at my age as president of his union. Over the years, I have experienced many facets of our organization, from the non-union environment through the changes that followed. My union involvement began as a steward, a Unit Based Team (UBT) member, and a bargaining team member. I have continued to build on that experience as a UBT co-lead and contract specialist.   As DASH President, my priority would be to listen to members, represent their concerns, and help ensure their voices are heard. I want to foster an environment where we can share ideas openly, enhance our communication, navigate change together, strengthen member engagement, and continue developing strong leaders within our affiliate. I would be honored to earn your vote and put my experience, leadership, and commitment to advocacy to work on behalf of our members.

Turusew Gedebu-Wilson

As a union leader, I have served as a Steward, Contract Specialist, Executive Board Member, Vice President, and elected Bargaining Committee member. I have represented dietitians, audiologists, speech-language pathologists, non-RN Lactation Consultants, and Health Educators. With 20 years as an Outpatient Registered Dietitian at Kaiser, I bring extensive experience and a strong commitment to our members. As a Bargaining Committee member, I have helped negotiate wages and benefits. I have also served as a longtime member and Co-Lead of the Outpatient RD Regional Workload Committee, advocating for improvements in workload, templates, preparation time, and charting time. I am running for DASH President to lead, advocate, and represent every classification. My priorities are strengthening our collective voice, increasing transparency and communication, and advocating for fair working conditions that support our members and quality patient care. I am a proud mother of two sons and an animal lover who enjoys traveling and learning about different cultures. I am ready to lead with integrity, collaboration, and dedication to every DASH member.

SCNSC

Aubree Santos – Running for Vice President South Fontana/Ontario

Aubree Santos — Candidate for Vice President, Fontana/Ontario My name is Aubree Santos, and I am honored to be running for Vice President for the Fontana/Ontario area. I have been a Kaiser employee for over 16 years and have had the privilege of serving our members as a steward and in officer positions (Secretary & VP) across multiple union contracts. I am running because I believe our nurses deserve strong, engaged leadership and a union that stands with them. My priorities are to educate our members, empower nurses, and enforce our contract. When members understand their rights and have the support and tools to advocate for themselves, we strengthen our collective voice. I want to help build stronger communication, improve morale and working conditions, and ensure nurses feel supported and heard throughout SCNSC. I will bring my experience, commitment, and willingness to listen to this role while working to ensure our contract is respected and our members have the representation they deserve. Our Voice. Our Contract. Our Future.

Araceli Gillette – Running for Vice President South Bay

Araceli Gillette has dedicated 20 years to serving her colleagues at Kaiser South Bay Medical Center, including 16 years as a charge nurse in the neurocardiac unit. As a union steward and seven-time elected UNAC/UHCP convention delegate, she has spent her career advocating for nurses and working to strengthen their union. Through these roles, Araceli has gained firsthand experience addressing workplace concerns, advocating for fair solutions, and ensuring members are heard and represented. She understands the importance of strong representation, clear communication, and transparency in building trust and solidarity among members. Araceli is running for Vice President to strengthen union representation, improve communication, and ensure every member has a meaningful voice. She is committed to bringing a hands-on approach to the role, standing up for members and turning their concerns into meaningful action. With 20 years of service and a deep commitment to her fellow nurses, Araceli is ready to help build a stronger, more responsive union and a stronger future for all members.

Daniel Jeon – Running for Treasurer

My name is Daniel Jeon, MSN, RN, FNP-BC. I currently serve as an SCNSC steward and work as an RN Case Manager. Through my role as a steward, I have participated in representational meetings, contract-related discussions, corrective action meetings, and member advocacy involving workplace issues, scheduling, staffing, and contract application. My professional background includes nursing, case management, and advanced practice clinical work. These roles have strengthened my attention to detail, documentation, communication, and accountability. I am also pursuing an MBA in Healthcare Management, which has further developed my understanding of budgeting, organizational operations, strategic planning, and responsible resource management. As a candidate for Treasurer, I bring experience working with members, reviewing contract language, organizing information, and maintaining clear communication. I value accuracy, transparency, consistency, and responsible stewardship of union resources.

Olive Ezeude – Running for Vice President South Bay

My name is Olive Ezeude. I am a RN Case Manager at Kaiser South Bay. I am the current SCNSC VP for South Bay. I have been a steward since 2015. Started as a Blue Book steward, advocated for members in attendance representations. Labor Chair for various sub committees for WorkPlace Safety for 6 years. In 2023, became an RN case manager and an SCNSC steward. In 2024, began to serve as VPSB. Under my leadership,I have collaborated with management in reducing work load issues, enforcing our contract, hiring of new staff members, thus leading to an increase of SCNSC members. 2025 election chair. 2026 convention co-chair. Strongly advocate for fair representation everytime. Accessible and provide prompt responses. I lead with compassion, passion, intergrity, and courage, and have 11 years of union experience. I get very passionate about my members that has earned me the nickname by some as “mama bear”. There is still some more work to be done and I ask for your vote to re-elect me so I can continue to serve our great SCNSC members. Please vote for Olive. Tested and trusted. Fearless. Advocates for fair representation. Enforcer of our contract. Thank you and grateful for your vote.

UPSC

Li-Ming Fong – Running for Treasurer

Hello, I’m Li-Ming, UPSC Treasurer since Sept 2023. As an officer, I service the San Bernardino County area and have attended its PiC and Lead interviews, Joint Discovery and Corrective Action meetings, and probationary and performance reviews. As your treasurer, I brought the 2023, 2024, 2025, and 2026 annual budgets to vote, revised the Financial Policy and by-laws, and run Finance Control Committee (FCC) meetings. I am also responsible for starting the investment in CDs to increase our reserves passively. I served on the Delegate and Convention Committees for the biennial UNAC convention in 2024 and 2026. When the 2024 Convention moved from San Diego to Los Angeles, I worked with two officers to organize and convert the canceled reception fees into our annual charity donation; we provided meals to the Alpha Project, a non-profit organization in San Diego. Balancing Kaiser and union work while owning cats can be difficult at times, especially when one demands the right to sit on the keyboard but refuses to help me proofread the Financial Policy. However, I am confident that I can continue to manage and with your vote, I can continue my service to UPSC and our union.

Nichole Koshki – Running for Steward Coordinator North

Nichole Koshki, PharmD, BCPS, APh, is an inpatient pharmacist at Kaiser Permanente Woodland Hills, a current UNAC/UHCP steward, and 2025 Contract Specialist. As a Contract Specialist, she supported WH, PC, WLA, AV, and Kern, working closely with the current Steward Coordinator North, officers, staff representatives, stewards, and members. In this role, Nichole developed a strong working knowledge of the contract, answered member and steward questions, interpreted contract language, addressed workplace concerns, and helped escalate and resolve issues. She has participated in numerous investigatory and corrective action meetings and attended bargaining for the new contract. Nichole has worked at WH, PC, and AV and completed her PGY1 residency at Kaiser Woodland Hills. She is Past President of SFV-CSHP and serves on its Board of Directors. Nichole believes strong representation begins with listening, communication, and follow-through. She is committed to being an accessible resource and helping members and stewards feel informed, confident, supported, and heard.

Emiley Pham – Running for Treasurer

Hi! I’m Emiley Pham from San Diego. I’ve been a pharmacist for 14 years, including 10 years in management. The experience that has shaped me most is standing alongside my fellow pharmacists when it mattered. I actively participated in our 2 strikes because I believe in the power of pharmacists standing together. I was elected as a delegate to the AFSCME Convention and UNAC/UHCP Convention, two opportunities I consider both a privilege and a responsibility to represent and serve our members. Today, I proudly serve as a union steward, advocating and supporting our members. I’m running for UPSC Treasurer because I want to know where our dues are going and how it’s serving us and I want you to know too. Our dues represent the hard work of approximately 2,000 pharmacists. Every dollar should be managed with transparency, accountability and care. Members should have confidence that our union is financially strong and prepared to stand up for us when it matters most. I’m running for the opportunity to serve our union. I’m ready to bring my experience, leadership, and commitment to service to this position. Your dues. Your voice. Your union. Choose me as your Treasurer.

UTSC Physical Therapy Vice President

LaToya Washington

Hello, I’m LaToya Washington, your current UTSC Physical Therapy Vice President. It has been an honor to represent rehab professionals over the past three years. Serving on the 2025 bargaining team reinforced why I became a union officer. Sitting at the table with fellow therapists and management, asking the hard questions, and advocating for our profession showed me how important it is that rehab professionals have a strong voice. Therapists are not an ancillary service—we are an integral part of the patient care team and deserve recognition for the value we bring to Kaiser. During my time in leadership, I have worked to ensure therapists in all practice settings, including specialized areas, have a voice and access to representation . I am especially proud of advocating for inpatient OT staffing/workload concerns, helping create focused discussions that amplified those members’ voices. As a member of the UNAC/UHCP Executive Council, I have also helped ensure the needs of rehab professionals are represented when important decisions are made at the highest levels of our union. I ask for your support to continue fighting for the respect and resources our profession deserves.

KFRNA

Amanda Padilla – Running for Secretary

My name is Amanda Padilla, RN, and for over 20 years, I have proudly advocated for our members as a Union Steward. Throughout my years of service, I have listened to members’ concerns, supported them through workplace challenges, and worked to ensure their voices are heard and their contractual rights are protected. I am now ready to elevate my experience and take the next step in union leadership by seeking the position of KFRNA Secretary. While this is my first time running for an elected union position, advocating for our members is not new to me. I bring experience, commitment, integrity, and a strong understanding of the issues our members face every day. I believe effective leadership requires being approachable, responsive, organized, transparent, and willing to stand up for our members when it matters most. As Secretary, I will bring the same dedication and advocacy I have demonstrated as a Steward for more than two decades. I am ready to work collaboratively with our leadership team, strengthen communication with our membership, and continue fighting to ensure every member has a voice. I respectfully ask for your support and vote for KFRNA Secretary.

Arturo Alba – Running for Parliamentarian

My name is ARTURO “ART” ALBA, and I currently serve as KFRNA Parliamentarian. I am seeking re-election to continue serving our members. I am also a Charge Nurse in the PACU and have proudly worked at Kaiser for 27 years. Throughout those years, I have seen how important our Union is in protecting our wages, benefits, working conditions, and rights. These protections did not simply happen—they are the result of years of representation, negotiations, and member involvement. As we prepare for future contracts, we must remain united to protect what we have worked for and oppose takeaways. We must continue advocating for safe staffing, adequate lunch and break relief, fair compensation, strong benefits, and consistent enforcement of our contract. We are the Union. Our strength comes from our Members, Officers, and Stewards standing together. When we protect and support our staff, we also strengthen the safe, excellent care our patients and families deserve. I respectfully ask for your support and vote for another term as your KFRNA Parliamentarian. ART ALBA for PARLIAMENTARIAN

Brenda Marin – Running for Hospital President

My name is Brenda Marin, MSN, RN, FNP-BC, and with over 25 years of union experience, I am proud to serve as your Hospital President and remain a visible, approachable, responsive, and effective voice for our membership. My focus is protecting members’ rights, enforcing our CBA, and holding management accountable. A top priority is ensuring appropriate meal and break relief while protecting our members’ professional licenses and promoting safe, quality patient care. I listen attentively to members’ concerns, bring them directly to management, and work toward resolution at the lowest possible level, escalating when necessary. Effective representation requires collaboration with management while firmly advocating for our members. My leadership is centered on accessibility, communication, transparency, accountability, and follow-through. I listen, I advocate, and I follow through. I am present when representation matters and committed to ensuring members’ voices are heard. It has been an honor to serve as your Hospital President, and I respectfully seek your support for re-election.

Maria Lin – Running for Secretary

Maria Lin is a PA in Neurosurgery at KP Fontana and is running for Secretary because she wants to support and serve our members by listening to their concerns, making sure their voices are heard, and helping members better understand our contract and their rights. She believes communication, transparency, and collaboration are key to building a stronger union. While working at KP LAMC, Maria worked closely with Urgent Care nurses to bring forward their concerns about patient care and safe staffing, advocating for a better and safer work environment for both healthcare workers and patients. She is currently a steward and stood alongside nurses, APPs, and other healthcare workers during this year’s strike. As Secretary, Maria hopes to keep members informed, encourage open communication, and help ensure concerns are heard and followed through. She wants to be an approachable resource and help strengthen solidarity across our healthcare community. Outside of work, Maria enjoys traveling and recently visited Machu Picchu. She also volunteers with a small team in Europe supporting families in Ukraine and hopes to visit all the national parks in the U.S.

Michelle Nava – Running for Parliamentarian

I am a candidate committed to integrity, solidarity, and keeping our union strong. I previously served as Parliamentarian for seven years, ensuring that our contract was upheld and that every member I worked with received fair, consistent representation. My focus has always been protecting our rights, strengthening our unity, and maintaining the standards that keep our union moving forward. I’m asking you to vote for Michelle D. Nava. I will stand strong for all of us and keep us united.

Raymond Cervenka – Running for Parliamentarian

Raymond A. Cervenka, PA-C Candidate for KFRNA Parliamentarian I have practiced as a Physician Assistant in family medicine and urgent care since 1996 and have served Kaiser Permanente members at the Redlands Medical Office Building since 2011. My union involvement developed into steadfast activism during the 2025–2026 contract campaign. Bargaining, advocacy, letter writing, picketing, and member engagement transformed me from a dues-paying member into a dedicated union advocate. I have completed union stewardship training, participated in advanced labor education, served as an elected alternate delegate to the 2026 AFSCME International Convention, and I am a delegate to the 2026 UNAC/UHCP Convention. I have also worked to strengthen APP representation while maintaining solidarity with the registered nurses who built and sustain KFRNA. As Parliamentarian, I would bring a fair, disciplined, and procedure-based approach to union governance. I believe parliamentary rules should protect open debate, equal participation, and democratic decision-making—not silence members. Nothing about us, without us.

KOCPA

Chhay Yann-Ly – Master Committee Chair

Hello, My name is Chhay Yann-Ly. I currently work at OCI FCC, as a Charge Nurse. I started at KP in the Lakeview Hospital, Night Shift, 8/2006, then transferred to OCI, 11/2008, shortly after the hospital opened. I am a former Contract Specialist, former KOCPA Officer, former Union Project Organizer, with the last two (2) strikes & a current VMO (Volunteer Member Organizer) & an active steward. I have been with KP for 20 yrs. I have worked PT/FT, Day/Night Shifts. I enjoy connecting with, educating, engaging & empowering our members with our CBA. I believe it is all of our responsibility, as members, to know our contract & enforce it. Attending the Steward TRN Classes, every other month & conventions, every 2 yrs. are important activities to stay informed, engaged & empowered. I continue to assist the KOCPA Officers with different assignments. I have always been a resource for my peers, for both OCA & OCI, Day/Night Shifts. I have always been active & will remain active for as long as I can. Thank you.

Maria Lopez Johnson – Executive Council Delegate

I am a registered nurse with 20 years of nursing experience, primarily in Labor & Delivery, and currently serve as an RN Team Lead in an OBGYN clinic while continuing my work in Labor & Delivery at UCLA. I hold a BSN, RNC-OB, IBCLC, and CLSP credentials. My decision to run as a candidate is deeply personal. Through my own experiences, I have seen firsthand how important union representation, support, and advocacy are for nurses. The support I received from my union made a meaningful difference in my professional journey and inspired me to become more involved in advocating for my fellow nurses. I am running because I believe every nurse deserves to be heard, respected, supported, and treated fairly. I want to help strengthen our union, promote transparency and accountability, and ensure nurses have a meaningful voice in decisions that affect our working conditions, professional practice, and patient care. I would be honored to serve our members and give back to the union that has helped me.