Roxanne Newsom, Farmington Hills

I am proud to endorse Chau Tran-Yang for Trustee of Local 2024. I have had the opportunity to work alongside Chau and have seen firsthand the qualities that make her a strong leader and advocate for nurses. Chau is curious, thoughtful, and genuinely invested in understanding why we do the things we do. She does not simply accept that something is “the way it has always been done.” She wants to understand the rationale behind decisions and how those decisions affect nurses and, ultimately, our patients.

One experience that has always stood out to me was when Chau took time out of her own schedule to shadow me for a day in Infection Prevention. She wanted to understand exactly what we do and, more importantly, why we do it. She saw firsthand how Infection Prevention reviews laboratory results across the hospital, identifies and categorizes patients, and determines when isolation precautions are necessary. She learned why certain patients need to be placed in isolation for multidrug-resistant organisms and why the process of clearing those precautions can sometimes take time. I remember that she found the sheer amount of information we review a little overwhelming—which I completely understood! But rather than simply walking away from it, she appreciated having the opportunity to understand the “why” behind what she and other nurses encounter every day.

What impressed me most was that she took that knowledge with her. She remembered it, continued to learn from it, and shared that understanding with others. That is the kind of curiosity I value in a leader. Chau doesn't ask questions simply to challenge someone. She asks because she genuinely wants to understand, and then she uses what she learns to make herself—and those around her—better informed.

Chau is also not afraid to ask the questions that others may be uncomfortable asking. She is willing to respectfully challenge decisions and even those in positions of authority when she believes something needs to be examined more closely. She does this because she wants to get the right answers, make sure nurses are being heard, and ultimately do what is best for our patients. And while Chau may have a little “spice” on the outside, those who know her well also see the kindness and thoughtfulness she carries on the inside.

I have personally witnessed her advocate for patients who needed someone to speak up for them, and I have seen that same advocacy extend to the nurses she works alongside. She cares about people, and that comes through in the way she leads. What I especially respect about Chau is that her leadership is not about having a title or simply being the loudest voice in the room. It is about having the courage to speak up when it matters, the curiosity to understand the issues, and the compassion to advocate for others.

Nurses need representatives who will listen, ask questions, seek answers, and respectfully challenge the status quo when necessary. Chau has demonstrated those qualities throughout her nursing career. For these reasons, I am proud to support Chau Tran-Yang for Trustee. I believe she will bring courage, curiosity, compassion, integrity, and a genuine commitment to advocating for nurses and our patients to Local 2024