Kathy Svec

"Alison has spent an entire lifetime training for this exact moment and believes all 10,000+ nurses deserve to be heard." I have known Alison for decades, so I have had the privilege of seeing who she is when life is challenging, and no one is watching. I first met Alison when I was fifteen, and her family quickly became a second home. I was one of many souls that needed a place to feel seen, heard, understood and guided. Alison and her family opened their door without judgement. From those early years, I learned something about her that has remained true for her entire life, she believes in opening doors, building strength, and making life better for those around her and those who come after her.

Alison has built and operated businesses as well as working as a nurse and a Teamster. She has learned how to solve problems, take responsibility, and keep moving forward when things become challenging. She understands people. She sees strengths in others they may not yet see in themselves, listens to opposing viewpoints, and looks for a way forward where she can listen, understand, include, and make room for all voices to be heard.

Over the past two plus years, I have watched Alison work full-time while giving virtually every spare moment of her time to building this union, without being paid for any of it. She has worked directly with nurses, educating them, listening to them, and helping them understand what it takes to build something this large. The people on this slate came together as the work unfolded, each finding a place and contributing their own strengths. One thing about Alison is she does not collect followers, she builds teams. I know this because I have experienced it myself. She sees people at their darkest places in life and helps them rediscover their own strength. Alison has spent a lifetime training for this exact moment and believes all 10,000+ nurses deserve to be heard. Her ability to listen, understand, include and make room for every voice is exactly why this union needs her to thrive.