5/6/12: During NTEU's National Steward Training Conference last week, several Chapter 293 leaders were recognized for their important work for SEC employees over the past year. Among the recipients of Leadership Awards were Olga Cruz-Ortiz, Noel Gittens, Tom Swiers, Alton Turner, Cate Whiting and Ken Wijesinghe from the Division of Enforcement. These individuals have made numerous contributions as Union representatives at the SEC during the past year.

Olga Cruz-Ortiz and Ken Wijesinghe are computer forensics IT Specialists in the Division of Enforcement. Both of them serve as Chapter 293 stewards and they were recognized for their continuing work on a team of representatives addressing computer forensics issues in disciplinary cases at the SEC. As a direct result of their important work, the Union has been able to identify critical errors that have been made in some cases, ensuring fundamental fairness in the process.

Patrick Feeney, Noel Gittens, Tom Swiers and Alton Turner are all Enforcement attorneys and Union stewards who were recognized for their hard work representing SEC employees in Headquarters on a number of disciplinary and performance related matters over the past year. As agency senior management has increasingly turned to utilizing the disciplinary process in recent months, it has become absolutely critical for agency employees to know that they will be represented by high caliber stewards who know how to defend their interests. Pat, Noel, Tom and Alton have done a tremendous job on these matters.

Cate Whiting has continued to serve as one of five Union members on the SEC Labor Management Forum, which was formed as a result of President Obama's Executive Order on labor-management partnership. As a Forum member, she meets regularly with senior management in Washington to raise and address national labor-management issues at the SEC.

All of the Enforcement employees who received Leadership Awards have been involved with a number of extremely important national projects this year that will continue to have a substantial impact upon SEC employees across the country. "Enforcement employees should be very proud to have among them such a talented group of individuals who are volunteering their time and energy to make a positive contribution to improving the agency," Chapter 293 President Greg Gilman recently said. "I know that I am very proud of my association and work with all of them."