Meet our Board

Steven Ward

SEIU Local 5, President
I first became involved with organizing and the labor movement through the inspiration of my Grandfather. He was a textile worker in Alabama who organized his textile mill in the 1930s and later died of brown lung from the poor work conditions in the mills. His experiences and influence led me to eventually become a union organizer.


Steven Ward

I have been working and organizing with SEIU for the last 15 years and have helped tens of thousands of public sector and health care/homecare workers join together and form strong and proud unions within SEIU. I have spent a lot of time working on campaigns in both Arizona and Virginia over the last few years. More recently I have had the pleasure of meeting many members and staff in Texas and getting a deeper understanding of the challenges and opportunities we face in Texas. Participating in an action at city hall in San Antonio with 150 members a couple weeks ago was a memorable and inspiring experience for me.

My current role in the South-Southwest region of SEIU is to help coordinate all of our organizing work across the region. As the incoming President of Local 5 I look forward to working and meeting many more members and working with you to continue building strong and sustainable unions and worker organizations in the great States of Virginia, Arizona and Texas! I believe the new SEIU Local 5 executive board has the experience and determination necessary to ensure that we succeed in our mission to organize and improve workers lives in the 3 states.

Please remember to participate in the voting process and support the adoption of the new constitution and bylaws for SEIU Local 5!

Patricia 'Pat' Thomas

SEIU Local 5, Secretary-Treasurer
Originally a social worker from a union family, I joined the SEIU staff in 1976 and have served as SEIU’s Education Director and Deputy Organizing Director responsible for the union-wide member organizer program.

Patricia 'Pat' Thomas

I joined the first SEIU South-Southwest senior team in 2005 as Leadership Development Director and have worked with staff and member leaders in Local 5 in AZ & TX, and with Houston city workers in HOPE.

In my role as director of leadership development, my mission is to train the leaders who will achieve the membership growth and political change needed to significantly improve the lives of workers and their families in our region.

I believe that I—along with my Justice for Y’All officer team of Steven Ward, Norm Yen (TX), David Broder (VA) and Scott Washburn (AZ)-- have the experience and commitment to move Local 5 to its next level of development—that of a “launcher” of strong, self-sufficient local unions with opportunities for new leaders to lead throughout the South-Southwest.

I am inspired by working with outstanding members in the South & Southwest who have taught me so much about the culture and challenges of our region. I look forward to working with this new group of SEIU leaders to build our union to make “Justice for Y’All ” happen during our nation’s historical moment for change.

Scott Washburn

SEIU Local 5, Arizona State Director

I’ve been an organizer for almost 37 years. In fact, I was 21 when I joined Cesar Chavez and the United Farm Workers in a little town called Tolleson, Arizona, and from that day on, organizing workers is the only job I’ve ever had.


Scott Washburn

Starting out with some of the best organizers in the country, I got a great basic training in the American labor movement, organizing farm workers and boycott supporters.

In 1981, I began the first of several stints with SEIU. Along the way, I’ve organized political campaigns, voter registration drives and a great variety of workers in health care, hotels and public services.

The most fun for me is starting something new. That’s why I volunteered to come back to Arizona in 2003 to start SEIU here. It was a nice homecoming for my wife, Nancy, who is an Arizona native. We have six children and three grandchildren, with another on the way.

It’s been great to be part of seeing SEIU Arizona grow into a new and different kind of union, with members who really care about their work, their communities and their futures.

Norm Yen

SEIU Local 5, Texas State Director

Norm Yen (right)

Norm wasn’t born in Texas, but “I got here as fast as I could”. He has 12 years of experience in SEIU, 10 of those in leadership positions. Organizing a union in Texas has been the most rewarding experience of his life, with the possible exception of having a newborn son earlier this year.

Since SEIU Texas started in 2005, we have:

Grown to over 7,000 members.

Helped workers win better pay and benefits all over Texas.

Trained hundreds of member leaders to fight for justice.

Organized workers in San Antonio, Houston, Dallas, and the Rio Grande Valley.

Won the first contract for public employees in Texas history.

As we look to the future, we want to expand contract bargaining rights all over Texas, build a strong, sustainable union, and change the political landscape. In just a few years we have made incredible strides – with an active, united membership we can win even more!

David Broder

SEIU Local 5, Virginia State Director

As a former caregiver for my grandmother, I am very proud to serve as the Virginia State Director for Local 5, representing home care workers in the Virginia Association of Personal Care Assistants – and all those who seek a voice for change – across the great Commonwealth of Virginia.


David Broder

I grew up outside of Boston and joined the effort to help home care workers in Massachusetts organize for quality jobs and quality care. Taking the lessons learned from home care workers there and across the country, we started working for a better home care system in Virginia in 2006; a system that recognizes the dignity of home care workers and the older adults and people with disabilities for whom quality personal care means independent living.

Working together with PCAs – from Northern Virginia to Hampton Roads, Richmond to Southwest Virginia, and Danville to Front Royal – we have begun to make real changes. We won access to discounted group healthcare and dental plans. We are educating our elected officials, and holding them accountable, through letter writing, phone calls and mobilizing. We’ve spoken out at budget hearings and took Richmond by storm last January. We know that we have a long way to go until we have a living wage and the healthcare benefits and training we need; until we have a real voice at work. I am inspired by all of our members in Virginia – and across Local 5 – and I know that, together, we will achieve our goals.