

Southeastern Region PSEA
8th Edition, June 2025
Welcome to the Southeastern Region newsletter! Each month, we'll provide updates to keep our members informed, engaged, and empowered to advocate for our profession. We look forward to staying connected. Thank you for being a member!
Monthly Spotlight: Springfield Education Association President Chris Milz
"My name is Chris Milz, and I am a Social Studies teacher in the Springfield School District. I have just completed my 19th year as a classroom teacher and a proud member of PSEA. I graduated from Widener University in 2004 with a BA in History, and in 2005 with a Masters in Education. Prior to working in Springfield, I taught public school for 8 years in Wilkes-Barre, PA where I was born and raised in a strong union household.
In 2018, I was fortunate to be appointed to the Leadership Development Committee in the Southeastern Region. As a “Red Shirt” I have had the opportunity to engage with and gain perspective from teachers from across the region and the state. Working with the outstanding members of the LDC has been such a great experience, and has allowed me to help educate and inspire current and future local leaders at leadership events from Cape May to Gettysburg. On the local level, I have held a number of leadership positions from building rep to Secondary Vice President, and since 2022, I have served as the president of the Springfield Education Association.
I currently live in Glen Mills with my wife Jennifer and children, Natalie (13), Harry (11), Christian (11), and Emmy (2) who proudly attend Garnet Valley public schools."
Monthly Spotlight: PSEA SE & NE Regions Field Manager Jimmy Gilbert
"I am Jimmy Gilbert, PSEA Region Field Manager for Southeastern and Northeastern Regions. I have been with PSEA for a little over 8 years. Prior to that, I was an Organizer and Senior Staff Representative with the Machinists Union and the Communication Workers of America as well as a Director in the Field Department at the AFL-CIO in D.C.
At PSEA, I am responsible for the delivery of all Field services delivered across the 18 counties, 190 Locals and approximately 28,000 members and 27 staff in my assigned Regions. Also, I am involved in the development of PSEA's Budget and Strategic Priorities as well as managing PSEA Staff Workgroups including PSEA Education Defenders and Bargaining Strategies.
I reside in Limerick Township, Montgomery County with my wife, Megan (a Delco native) and our 5 yr old daughter, Birdie. We spend a lot of time in Beach Haven NJ. I am a huge North Carolina Tar Heels, Eagles and Phillies fan."
May 2025 PSEA House of Delegates
Of special note, we celebrated Pennsylvania's 2025 Teacher of the Year, Leon Smith of Haverford Education Association! A member of our region, Leon has spent 22 years teaching at Haverford High School. He teaches 9th grade Honors and Advanced Placement Social Studies and 10th-12th grade African American Studies, is the African American Cultural Enrichment Advisor and freshmen Boys’ Basketball Coach, and brought a Grow Your Own teacher program to the district. Big congratulations to Mr. Leon Smith!!
Korri J. Brown Southeastern Region Meeting Room Dedication
On May 21st we held the official dedication of our meeting room at the region office to Korri J. Brown. Our beloved friend and colleague, Korri served as PSEA Vice President, Southeastern Region President, and Kennett Education Association Vice President (among many other roles) before she passed away suddenly in May 2019. The room dedication included a beautiful ceremony and brought together many of Korri's family members, her church family, past and present PSEA officers, and, of course, her friends across the Southeastern Region and Kennett. Thank you to Tricia O'Loughlin, Nancy Dunn, Linda Parkinson, Becky McLain, Jen Smith, Shannon Moore, and Andrea Fink for their hard work in putting the event together.
Please Consider Donating to PACE!
Duty Free Lunch Podcast Guest Kathy Dunkle!
Southeastern Region Minority Affairs Committee
"The Minority Affairs Committee (MAC) is a BIPOC-led space where allies are welcome. We explore the unique experiences and priorities of our members of color and work in concert to improve cultural responsiveness and representation in our unions." Find more information on our region website.
Keep These Numbers Handy!
The 119th Congress was sworn in on January 3rd, 2025. Listed below are the phone numbers for our US Senators and for Representatives serving our region. It is important for us to advocate for our students, our schools, and our professions, and that means letting our legislators know how policies they are considering will affect us. By making phone calls, we hold them accountable and educate them on our support or opposition to proposed legislation.
119th Congress Office Contact Information
Senator John Fetterman: (202) 224-4254 Washington, D. C. (215) 241-1090 Philadelphia, PA
Senator Dave McCormick: (202)224-6324 Washington, D. C. (215) 405-9660 Philadelphia, PA
PA-4 Representative Madeleine Dean Glenside, PA (215) 884-4300 Washington, D. C. (202) 225-4732
PA- 5 Representative Mary Gay Scanlon Chester, PA (610) 626-2020 Washington, D. C. (202) 225-2011
PA-6 Representative Chrissy Houlahan West Chester, PA (610) 883-5050 Washington, D. C. (202) 225-4315
Equally important: You can also find information about your legislators in the Pennsylvania General Assembly by clicking here.
NEA Director Report: Carol Yanity
Click to read the report of our NEA Director, Carol Yanity.
ACE Training! Advocates for Children & Education
Reminder of Important Upcoming Dates
Southeastern Region Executive Committee Dates
"Our Executive Committee meetings offer time and space for our local leaders, committee chairs, and PSEA staff to collaborate, conduct the business of the region, and support our members. All meetings begin at 5 pm and can be attended in-person or via Zoom."
- Wednesday, September 17, 2025
- Wednesday, October 29, 2025
- Wednesday, January 14, 2026
- Wednesday, February 25, 2026
- Wednesday, May 27, 2026
PSEA Education Foundation
Throughout the year, we have PSEA members from across the commonwealth that find themselves in need. Luckily, we have the PSEA Education Foundation that helps out these members.
In order to provide assistance, funds need to be raised. The PSEA Education Foundation is a 501(c)(3) private foundation. Contributions can be made to the:
- Book Drive Grant Program, which supports PSEA member-directed book drives for students in need;
- Welfare Assistance Grant Program, which provides financial assistance to PSEA members with sudden or severe hardship;
- Comprehensive Support and Improvement (CSI) Grant Program, which funds training and other needs of PSEA members; or
- A general contribution can be made.
PSERS Foundations For Your Future (FFYF) Educational Programs
PSERS, the Public School Employee Retirement System, offers a number of opportunities to help you prepare for retirement decisions. These opportunities include virtual webinars, in-person seminars, and a recorded presentation that you can watch on your own. Find more information at the PSERS FFYF website, linked here.
PSERS Health Options Program
The Health Options Program operates for the sole benefit of participants of the Pennsylvania Public School Employees’ Retirement System (PSERS), their dependents and survivors. Under the Health Options Program, you have access to comprehensive medical and prescription drug coverage before and after you become eligible for Medicare. Click here for upcoming virtual information sessions on this program to help you decide if it's right for your household.
There are tons of opportunities available this summer through PSEA's Center for Professional Learning! Details are below. If you are looking for a book discussion, webinar, or other activity for Act 48, Chapter 14, or even graduate credit, you've come to the right place!
https://www.psea.org/act48bookdiscussions
Have you checked out your member benefits??
There are a lot of benefits to being a PSEA member, and one of them is that your membership saves you money.
The PSEA Member Benefits program offers you thousands of discount and savings opportunities on mortgages, mobile service, insurance, financial services, restaurants, hotels, and more.
Check out the programs and start saving today!
PSEA Personal Legal Services
PSEA has a Personal Legal Services Program for members and their families. The program provides discounted rates and two 30-minute consultation sessions free during each membership year with the designated law firms below. The areas of concentration are:
- Personal Injury (Cordisco & Saile)
- Workers' Compensation (Cordisco & Saile)
- Domestic Relations (Susan Levy Eisenberg, Esq)
- Criminal Law (Neff & Sedecca)
- Wills & Estates (Martin Herring)
SER & PSEA Committee Opportunities
Are you interested in getting more involved in our union work? Would you like to meet other PSEA members from across the region or state? We have a number of open positions to serve on Southeastern Region committees, as well as PSEA statewide committees. To view the list of open positions, please click here and after logging in, navigate to "Elected/Appointed Position Vacancies." If you are interested in one of these positions, please contact your local president for more information.
Reminder to Local Leaders: Membership Rebate
Per the PSEA Local Treasurer’s Manual, PSEA offers a yearly Membership Rebate in the form of a credit at the end of the year to all locals who:
• Adhere to their approved Dues Remittance Agreement
• Submit their Financial Data Sheet
• Submit a Certification of Local Audit Committee form
The amount that is offered to locals is dependent upon the date in which the above listed documentation is submitted to PSEA. A local that satisfies these requirements by:
• January 31st – will receive a rebate of $3.50/member of their local
• March 15th – will receive a rebate of $3.00/member of their local
• August 31st – will receive a rebate of $2.50/member of their local
Questions? Reach out to Region Treasurer Caitlin Merto at pseaser.treasurer@gmail.com.
Join the ranks of PSEA-Retired!
PSEA and SER Officer Teams
Your PSEA and Southeastern Region officer teams for the 2024-2025 school year are:
- Aaron Chapin, PSEA President, Stroudsburg Area EA
- Jeff Ney, PSEA Vice President, Wilkes-Barre EA
- Rachael West, PSEA Treasurer, Chester Upland EA
- Andrea Fink, Region President, William Penn EA
- Kathy Dunkle, Region First Vice President, Chester County IU #24
- Jessica Keogh, Region Second Vice President, West Chester Area EA
- Caitlin Merto, Region Treasurer, Chester Upland EA
- Mark DeFusco, Region Parliamentarian, Roberts EA
- Carolyn Smith, Region Secretary, Kennett EA
This newsletter is intended for PSEA members and members of their immediate households.