Leadership
HPAE State Officers
As a registered nurse at Virtua Memorial Hospital for 27 years and a long-term Med-Surg nurse, Debbie White was involved in the initial organizing at her worksite in 1996. She became Grievance Chair in 2007 and was eventually elected President of Local 5105 in 2010 where she served for eight years. As HPAE president, White has brought her fierce advocacy for healthcare workers to many critical issues in both state and national spheres. During the pandemic, White fought for the health and safety of all healthcare workers when employers failed to provide protection. On safe staffing, while HPAE has found success through collective bargaining, White continues to push for enforceable staffing regulations at both state and national levels. White also continues to dedicate herself to the fight against privatization and corporate healthcare systems in New Jersey and across the nation. Email Debbie at dwhite@hpae.org.
Barbara Rosen is a long time member and leader of HPAE. A Nurse Educator and former Critical Care Nurse, in 1978, she worked to organize a union at the then Bergen Pines Hospital (now New Bridge Medical Center). She served as President of Local 5091, and led a very contentious, and successful, strike at Bergen Regional Medical Center in 2004. After being stuck with a bloody HIV, Hepatitis C needle, Barbara worked tirelessly with HPAE for the ‘Safe Needle’ legislation, which was enacted and later used as the model for federal legislation. Barbara served as HPAE Secretary-Treasurer for eight years from 2010 through 2018 before becoming Vice President. Email Barbara at brosen@hpae.org.
Alexis Rean-Walker, Secretary-Treasurer
Alexis Rean-Walker is a member and leader of HPAE Local 5094, part of the HPAE professional bargaining unit at Rutgers Biomedical and Health Sciences (RBHS), formerly the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey, where she has worked for over 29 years as a Senior Project Management Analyst and Treasury Analyst. Alexis has served for two terms as Co-President of HPAE Local 5094 representing professionals on the RBHS New Brunswick and Piscataway campuses, and Rowan University. Prior, she served two terms as Co-Secretary of the Local as well as Union Liaison and Union Rep. She has been a member of the State Executive Committee for the past three years and serves on the AFT Women’s Rights Committee. Alexis has a Bachelor of Science in Computer Science with a minor in Business Management and is the first member from a non-nursing bargaining unit to serve as an officer of the HPAE State Federation. Email Alexis at areanwalker@hpae.org.
State Executive Council (SEC)
The State Executive Council (SEC) is the governing body of HPAE. In between HPAE’s conventions, the SEC implements the convention’s resolutions, supervises the affairs of the union, and authorizes the expenditure, investment, and management of the union’s fund’s.
The State Executive Council (SEC) is made up of the HPAE President, First Vice President, Secretary-Treasurer; and Second Vice Presidents and Assistant Second Vice Presidents from each HPAE Local Union. The members of each Local Union elect a Local President who serves as a Second Vice President of the State Federation. Local Unions with 500 or greater members are entitled to one additional elected officer to serve on the State Executive Council to serve as Assistant Second Vice President.