UPEA second vice president elections will be held Feb. 1. Please become familiar with the candidates and make an informed decision. Within UPEA, the second vice president’s responsibilities include:
- Serving as chairman of the Resolutions Committee, which reviews resolutions and makes recommendations to the General Council and proposes a platform for the coming year.
- Representing the State Board as a voting member of the Citizen Action by Public Employees’ (CAPE) Committee.
You will receive a ballot by email when it is time to vote.
Here are the two candidates and their platforms:
Dennis Kay
Thank you for your consideration of me as a candidate for the Utah Public Employees’ Association’s Second Vice President. I hope you agree that my experience and training make me the best candidate to represent UPEA and public employees. I have worked and lived for most of my career in Southwestern Utah with the Department of Natural Resources. I signed up as a member of UPEA on February 1, 1973, the same day I became a full-time employee of the state of Utah. I am also proud to be a retired Utah public employee.
One of my personal highlights of service with UPEA has been the opportunity to serve as the President of our Association. I served as an officer from 2011-2015. My term of office came at a particularly demanding period as Utah’s governments dealt with the challenges of the Great Recession.
We, UPEA, were able to help defend against aggressive efforts to eliminate the public employees’ merit system, workplace protections, as well as health care and retirement benefits.
In addition, I offer the following qualifications for you to consider as a candidate for Second Vice President and, if elected, to serve as President of UPEA:
- Current Advisory Council member
- Current Color Country District Board member
- Current CAPE Committee member
- Current Bylaws Committee member
During my term as President of UPEA and as part of my four-year term as an officer, I also served in the following positions:
- Chair of the Resolutions Committee
- Chair of the Legislative Committee
I have served a number of terms on the Citizen Action by Public Employees (CAPE) Committee, and have held both the Vice Chair and the Chair positions. Through the CAPE Committee, UPEA has supported and helped to elect hundreds of candidates for public office who truly value the public employees of Utah and its local governments. I feel particularly fortunate to be part of what UPEA has been able to accomplish through CAPE.
If elected as your Second Vice President of UPEA, I would be in a position to help these same elected officials gain a better understanding of UPEA and its members. They need this information to be able to effectively support us.
As an officer I will promote a fair and competitive salary and benefit package, a team-oriented work environment, and respect and cooperation from political leaders. Fair employee compensation should be the top priority for UPEA members and our elected officials. In pursuit of this team approach I will propose that the legislature place employee compensation and benefits decisions first on their agenda.
To achieve these goals I want and need your vote. I hope you agree that my experience and training make me the best candidate to represent UPEA and public employees in this important office.
Lori Benton
I would like to introduce myself to those who may not know me. My name is Lori Benton and I am running for 2nd Vice President of UPEA. I have worked for the state for 21 years with three different agencies. My job duties have included: Accounting, Payroll, Human Resources technician and as a State Payroll Specialist. I am currently employed as a Financial Analyst II for the Utah Department of Transportation. I have been active with UPEA for 20 years. During that time I have served in numerous capacities, I have been elected as Chapter President, District Chair and Treasurer. Currently, I am serving on the Advisory Committee and State Board. I have also been a member of all the various committees that are authorized through UPEA. The knowledge and information I have acquired from serving on these committees makes me believe I am the best person for the 2nd Vice President position.
I have a thorough knowledge of what UPEA does for you as employees, and what we need to do on an ongoing basis. Being a currently employed member, I am dealing with the same things that all working employees are while still believing in the importance of all our retirees. When the Legislature makes a decision, it affects me just as it does you. There are so many things that I can offer to you as members. I will give you my time, my experience, and my understanding of what is needed. I am happy to devote my time to make our jobs more rewarding and to help us increase our opportunities as Government Employees. I will always be available to listen to your hopes and your concerns. I will be YOUR officer that is there to work for YOU. Please as you vote for the 2nd VP, consider all that I can offer you and the benefits of having me there to work for and with you.
When you see that ballot arrive, please vote for me – as a vote for me…is a vote for ALL OF YOU!
Thank you,
Lori Benton