Peek behind the curtain of PSEA leadership with local presidents Dwayne McCarthur, Erin Huwalt, and Raquel Gray. They talk with Aaron and Jeff about the challenges and surprises of being a local president, the importance of teamwork, their strategies for maintaining a work-life balance, and how their union leadership roles have enhanced their work as educators.
Peek behind the curtain of PSEA leadership with local presidents Dwayne McCarthur, Erin Huwalt, and Raquel Gray. They talk with Aaron and Jeff about the challenges and surprises of being a local president, the importance of teamwork, their strategies for maintaining a work-life balance, and how their union leadership roles have enhanced their work as educators.
Do you have some feedback for us? Send an email to podcast@psea.org.
Learn more and watch for upcoming episodes at psea.org/podcast.
Voiceover (00:02):
Welcome to Duty Free Lunch, the official podcast of the Pennsylvania State Education Association. Join us as we unpack the issues that matter most to you. From cutting-edge classroom strategies to thought-provoking policy discussions, if it impacts PSEA members, it's on the menu.
Aaron Chapin (00:24):
Hello and welcome to Duty Free Lunch. I am PSEA President, Aaron Chapin, and I am here again with our PSEA Vice-President, Jeff Nye. Jeff, how are you doing?
Jeff Ney (00:36):
Good, Aaron. How are you doing?
Aaron Chapin (00:38):
It is a wonderful day here in Harrisburg.
Jeff Ney (00:40):
Oh, absolutely fantastic.
Aaron Chapin (00:42):
Yeah.
Jeff Ney (00:43):
So listen, enough about you. I mean, how about my guide dog, Parker? How's he doing lately? I know he had a little run-in with the vet not too long ago.
Aaron Chapin (00:51):
Well, yes unfortunately. We did not take good grooming care of him, and his hair was a bit too fluffy too much, and he got zapped at the groomer. Had to get some staples.
Jeff Ney (01:02):
Oh, poor boy.
Aaron Chapin (01:03):
I know. He was unhappy, but he's back and better than ever.
Jeff Ney (01:07):
Excellent. Good to hear.
Aaron Chapin (01:08):
And he said he misses you.
Jeff Ney (01:09):
Oh, thank you.
Aaron Chapin (01:10):
You guys should check out my Facebook page to see what Parker looks like.
Jeff Ney (01:13):
Oh, okay.
Aaron Chapin (01:14):
Yes. He's the apple of my eye.
Jeff Ney (01:17):
Obviously.
Aaron Chapin (01:17):
Yes, he is. Well, enough of this mindless banter. Actually, I was really excited to be coming in to do his podcast today, Jeff.
Jeff Ney (01:26):
I'm very excited as well. This is going to be one of our greatest.
Aaron Chapin (01:30):
Well, until communications told us that we may not be able to do it.
Jeff Ney (01:34):
But in communications, they pulled themselves together and said, "Nope, we got this taken care of."
Aaron Chapin (01:40):
I know. I was excited because as many of you know, Jeff and I have talked about, and Rachel as well, that we've all been local presidents, we have a great love of the job and appreciation for what our local presidents do in all of our 1000 plus locals. And today we've actually got three local presidents, and their experience varies, and they're scattered throughout the state. So we're going to have a great conversation today with these local presidents. So joining us on the phone today, we have Erin Huwalt. She's a new president from the Elizabeth Forward EA. Good afternoon, Erin.
Erin Huwalt (02:18):
Good afternoon, president Chapin. How are you?
Aaron Chapin (02:21):
I'm doing fantastic.
Erin Huwalt (02:22):
From Burgh.
Aaron Chapin (02:23):
Thank you.
Erin Huwalt (02:23):
From the Burgh.
Aaron Chapin (02:25):
Thank you. Yes. For those of you who don't know, it's out towards the Pittsburgh area.
Jeff Ney (02:28):
Yes.
Aaron Chapin (02:29):
And we got Raquel Gray, who is a slightly more seasoned educator. She's from Union City EA up there in the northwest. How are you doing Raquel?
Raquel Gray (02:40):
I'm doing well, thank you, Aaron.
Aaron Chapin (02:42):
Well, thanks for joining us. And last, but certainly not least, it's Dwayne MacArthur. He is a very experienced educator. He is president of the Susquehanna Township ESP. Dwayne, how's it going today?
Dwayne McCarthur (02:56):
It's going just well.
Aaron Chapin (02:58):
Oh, wow. Say it like you mean it. All right. Well, we really appreciate all three of you carving out some time for us to record this podcast. We're thrilled to have you joining us. And what I'd like to do is just have some quick introductions so our listeners know a little bit more about you. We know that obviously as I mentioned, you're presidents of locals, but where do you work specifically and what do you do? So I'm going to start with you, Erin. Tell us a little bit about yourself.
Erin Huwalt (03:27):
So I of course work at the Elizabeth Ford School District, which is right outside of Pittsburgh. I've been working there now for 24 years, it's also my alma mater. Go Warriors. And I teach first grade at Central Elementary.
Aaron Chapin (03:43):
All right. And Dwayne, tell us about yourself.
Dwayne McCarthur (03:46):
I work at Susquehanna Township High School. This is year 29 for me. I do behavior intervention.
Aaron Chapin (03:54):
All right. And Raquel, can you tell us a little bit about yourself?
Raquel Gray (04:04):
I work at Union City Area School District. I'm a high school science teacher and driver's ed instructor. And I've been there for 17 years.
Aaron Chapin (04:09):
All right. So while your experience, for the most part, you all have been in school districts for relatively about the same amount of time, give or take a few years. But it's your experience as local leaders we'll be focusing a little bit more on, but you all are at a different point in this track, and it'll be interesting to hear some of your experiences.
Jeff Ney (04:29):
Yeah, so let's talk about some of those biggest challenges that you face right off the bat as you take on a leadership role in your own individual local. Like Aaron said, you all have a different time in that role. So Raquel, let's start with you since you've had a few years in. So what are some of the highest challenges that you have as a local leader?
Raquel Gray (04:52):
I would say all of the different hats that you have to wear as president, as a fellow teacher, a co-worker in the district, friends with some of your co-workers. And making decisions that is best for the entire unit might not always make everyone happy. And so that's been my biggest challenge.
Jeff Ney (05:17):
And how many years have you been a local president?
Raquel Gray (05:19):
This is year five.
Jeff Ney (05:21):
Very good. Erin, we're going to jump to you. How many years have you been local president and what's your biggest challenge?
Erin Huwalt (05:26):
So this is my first term as president, so this is year number two. Like Raquel, I agree that the same issues that she's facing are some of the same issues I'm facing, but many of your viewers might know that my school district in February of 2023 suffered a fire at its high school. So that became a real challenge for me in how to navigate through that and help my fellow co-workers at the high school and also still be able to respond to the members in the elementary and the middle school schools as well.
(06:10)
It was trying to figure out how school was going to look like for our students and our staff at the high school. And it was like Raquel said, trying to find ways to make decisions that everybody wasn't going to be always happy with, and grapple with that and trying to make the best decisions, especially when we had just suffered a fire and all the environmental issues that went along with that. So that became the biggest challenge for me in my first year, or my first term as president.
Aaron Chapin (06:46):
We'll go to Dwayne in just a second, but a lot of times our local leaders are thrown into the deep end when these situations occur in our locals. And it's the presidents that are trying to work with the school district, the members. It is a challenge beyond belief.
Jeff Ney (07:03):
Yeah. So Dwayne, how about you? Oh, sorry. Go ahead, Erin.
Erin Huwalt (07:08):
No, I'm sorry. I just wanted to say it was ironic because everybody told me, "Oh, it's quiet years. It's not negotiation years." There are no quiet years I think in any presidency, and that just became fruition for me with what we had dealt with last year at Elizabeth Ford.
Jeff Ney (07:26):
So true, so true. Dwayne, as the experienced leader, how many years have you been local president?
Dwayne McCarthur (07:30):
I've been local president for about 13 years.
Jeff Ney (07:35):
13 years. And after those 13 years, what do you think is the biggest challenges you've faced so far?
Dwayne McCarthur (07:40):
I could definitely say one of my biggest challenges is the number of upper administrators I had go through. From time to time we all expect that teachers move up into the admin positions and they go the route, but outside of that, we've probably had about a good 20 to 24 administrators over the last 13 years.
Jeff Ney (08:08):
We have another podcast episode that talked a little bit about dealing with administration. So yeah, that always remains a good challenge, and having 13 years of experience probably gives you a little bit of an upper hand especially when those newer administrators come in.
Dwayne McCarthur (08:25):
A little bit, yes.
Aaron Chapin (08:27):
So obviously this job brings, and for those of our listeners that have never been a local president or an officer in the local, it comes with a lot of challenges. Certainly, we don't want to make it seem like it is just work, work, work and it's a downer. It's a great job. As Jeff and I have always said, we've loved being local presidents, but there's things that surprise you. There are good parts about it. What are some things that really have surprised you pleasantly about being a local president, Dwayne.
Dwayne McCarthur (09:02):
A camaraderie amongst people around the state, especially within my local, trying to get them involved and meet new people and maybe assume some different roles in our local. That's always been one part of the job.
Aaron Chapin (09:19):
What about you, Raquel?
Raquel Gray (09:21):
Well, five years ago when I was just becoming a new president, we were also getting new administration. And so I had set three goals that I wanted to accomplish, getting an early retirement incentive for some of our teachers, hopefully getting an early bird, because we had just gone through a pretty rough negotiation, the previous term. And then trying to establish an ESP local. And so when I had approached the administration about the early retirement incentive and the early bird, they were receptive to it and we actually accomplished that within my first year, which was tremendous.
Aaron Chapin (10:07):
That's not an easy thing to accomplish at all.
Jeff Ney (10:09):
Yeah, and I'll tell you one of the other things that we often talk about, especially here on the podcast. Anybody who's listened to Aaron and Rachel and myself talk, we all know how important it's to have a great team behind you in order to get things done that is the same way on a region level. And I'm sure all of you have experienced the same thing on your local level. So how much do you rely on your team back home and your own local to get things done? And is there that connection with the other people in your local that all feel the same way that you do? Erin, how about we start with you?
Erin Huwalt (10:46):
Well, I've been very blessed and lucky to have such a great supporting cast behind me. The people on my executive team, we're like a huge family of brothers and sisters. We all just fit a piece of the puzzle, we all bring a personality that works. I can't stress it enough between Justin and Vicki and Melina and Chris, who are my four core people, and even my rep council that I have been on for several years before I took this role.
(11:16)
And we've had several leaders that are now still on rep council that I can just rely on for advice and experience, which has made it an easier transition for me, especially after what we dealt with last year with the fire. And even beyond that, with you guys here at CSEA and even at Western region with David Taylor, our region president, Ray Milligan, our second representative, it's been easier for me to have that support system just because of their wide range of knowledge that has helped me to shape the president, who I am right now.
Jeff Ney (11:53):
That's great. Raquel, how about you? How about your team?
Raquel Gray (11:57):
When we went through that rough negotiations process, we really came together and organized as an entire unit, which was wonderful to experience. But through that we have really a great executive committee and everyone has a different role based on the gifts that they have. So that's been wonderful. But also I've seen and I've also experienced, being a woman in a leadership role has its own challenges. And so I really tried to make sure that I had a male counterpart that would sit at the table with me, to ensure that our voices were heard and that things went a little more smoothly.
Jeff Ney (12:47):
Interesting. And Dwayne, we get a little too far for our muse. Not only are you local president at Susquehanna Township, but you're also the division president here in Southern region. So how about the teams that you've been able to deal with?
Dwayne McCarthur (13:01):
My teams are great, actually. I've been very blessed to have the people I work with, especially on our exec board. Fortunate for me, they have been with me for quite some time throughout my local presidency, so that definitely makes things a lot easier. They pretty much know what I'm thinking even if I'm not thinking about it. So that's truly a blessing to me. As far as the division president, I have great leadership here in Southern region. They go out and they advocate not just amongst their locals, but other locals as well in our division. So again, blessed to have good people to work with and surrounding us with the aura.
Jeff Ney (13:55):
I'll tell you what, I'm glad to hear that from everybody. It makes the job so much better when you have a team surrounded around you that supports you, that helps you, that makes sure that you look at everything from every different side. So that's great to know.
Aaron Chapin (14:10):
Well, Jeff and I wouldn't be here today if it wasn't for the teams that we worked with back in Wilkes-Barre and Stroudsburg.
Jeff Ney (14:15):
And in the Northeast.
Aaron Chapin (14:16):
And in the Northeast as well. But I was thinking as all three of you are going, talking about your team and how you all fit together, I'm guessing though, there's just many different personalities, and that's what really makes the team come together and work as one in the efficient manner it does. I would assume that you all, there are differences, but it works when you guys come together. Would you say that's true, Erin?
Erin Huwalt (14:42):
Oh, absolutely. My VP and I are total opposite. I'm the more spontaneous-
Aaron Chapin (14:48):
Shock.
Erin Huwalt (14:49):
Brash, rush into thing. No, are you laughing at that?
Aaron Chapin (14:53):
No.
Jeff Ney (14:54):
You always take that leap, I know that for a fact.
Erin Huwalt (14:57):
Yes I do. In more ways than one, right?
Jeff Ney (15:00):
That's right.
Erin Huwalt (15:01):
And then my VP. My VP, he is the more centered, let's look at this before we jump off the edge here, and keeps me grounded. And I appreciate having that kind of relationship so that we have all the perspectives and personalities going all at once.
Aaron Chapin (15:22):
Dwayne, do you see that your teams vary, the personalities vary and that works out for you?
Dwayne McCarthur (15:27):
Oh, absolutely. And not to be any kind of way, but my exec team are all women. I'm the only male on my exec board, so they tend to keep me in line, so to speak.
Aaron Chapin (15:42):
I know what you're talking about.
Dwayne McCarthur (15:43):
Especially if there's things not going well within our local, they're the first ones to speak up and speak out. And I know that once I move on, they'll still have good leadership.
Aaron Chapin (15:57):
Raquel, your team members have that varying personalities, and it works when you all come together? Yeah, absolutely.
Raquel Gray (16:06):
And I would have to agree with as well. I'm more spontaneous and yes, let's do this, let's do this, and my VP does help to keep me grounded and thinking logically through things. So we really gel together as a great team.
Aaron Chapin (16:23):
All right,
Jeff Ney (16:24):
And I'll take two of those things, combine them together, because when Aaron and I were leaders up in the Northeast, we always had one person that would pull the reins on us when we had those crazy ideas, and then we had another one who would just allow us to do those crazy things. So we always get that. But now let's make the connection between you being a local leader and the job that you actually do within your schools, back in your districts.
(16:46)
Do you think the responsibility that you have as a local leader makes you better equipped to handle those jobs that you do? Dwayne, we will start with you. Has it given you a different perspective about your school or your district that you may not have had if you were just doing your regular ESP position?
Dwayne McCarthur (17:06):
Absolutely. One of the biggest things, especially when dealing with the local presidency, is listening, especially dealing with kids and today's society. I deal with a lot of behaviors. That's the first thing that comes to mind, is listening and communicating well. So it definitely has a direct correlation.
Jeff Ney (17:30):
Erin, how about you with your little ones in the primary?
Erin Huwalt (17:34):
Well, with my little ones in primary you have to have a lot of patience, and that's something I think coming into being a president, you have to have. You be ready for anything being thrown at you unexpectedly, as six and seven year olds do a lot. You have to be like Dwayne said, a great listener. So that's given me a lot of tools to move in back and forth between the two roles, and becoming EFEA president and being first grade teacher, it really has changed that perspective for me. And just changing roles back and forth all day long, which I'm sure Raquel and Dwayne do as well.
Jeff Ney (18:13):
And Raquel, how about you?
Raquel Gray (18:18):
Absolutely. And to fishtail off of what they both said with the listening aspect, one of the biggest things that I've learned is practice that pause and just taking that minute to process before reacting. And I think as a local leader, we see a lot of the behind the scenes things that happen within our districts. And so understanding the logistics and the business side of it as well helps to make those compromises that you need to make.
Aaron Chapin (18:49):
Interesting. And I was thinking because it's been a little bit now since I've been in the classroom, but I know that when I was working as local president, I often would go back and well, one, I would go back and I'd be really appreciative to be with the students because that was my safe zone. But I felt like every time I went in there I'm like, this is why I'm trying to work with the union and the district. I'm trying to make this district better for these students, to make it a better place.
Jeff Ney (19:16):
You want to make sure that the people that you're representing feel safe to do the job that they want to do. And part of that is doing the job as that local president, you want to make sure that you're representing all of them so they can do the greatest job they can for the most precious resource we have in Pennsylvania, which is our students.
Aaron Chapin (19:32):
So I want to ask each of you, because we are slowly running out of time here, but I think this is an important question because this isn't just something that applies to presidents, the local presidents and anybody who else might hold a union office, but just teachers in general. But obviously the role of a local president, it's going to really consume a lot of your time, so does your day job as educators consumes a lot of your time. How do you manage that work life balance, Raquel? Do you do something that allows you to let the steam off from both of those jobs?
Raquel Gray (20:09):
Yeah. I always say you cannot pour from an empty glass, and so it's so important to take care of yourself. And something personally that I have, did this fitness journey and making sure that I'm the healthiest that I can be. And so I go to the gym every morning at 5:00 AM before work. It gives me the energy that I need for the day and it helps me to get my frustrations out.
Jeff Ney (20:36):
That's awesome.
Aaron Chapin (20:36):
Yeah, it is. I've seen the pictures. She's devoted. Dwayne, what do you do? What do you do? And you've been doing it the longest. What do you do to keep going on this long?
Dwayne McCarthur (20:50):
Actually, it's a transformation for me. I coach. I coach high school, track and field, so that's a different type of being in charge. And getting to see and the kids do well in their personal events, that actually is very satisfying to me.
Aaron Chapin (21:10):
Awesome.
Dwayne McCarthur (21:11):
So I leave all of the unions up alone and just focus in on the kids having fun and doing their personal best.
Aaron Chapin (21:18):
That's excellent.
Jeff Ney (21:19):
I can appreciate that as a fellow coach.
Aaron Chapin (21:21):
Erin, what about you? What do you do to manage that mental health of yours?
Erin Huwalt (21:26):
So since I'm still the baby here in the group, it's still a balancing act for me. I'm still trying to figure out where the fit is for me. Well, between work and home life. It's been a challenge, especially the last year with everything that happened in our district. So I usually read. I find comfort in reading to take me away from those stresses, but I'm still trying to find my balance. And I know if my members are listening to this, they're going to go, "Oh yeah, she does." Because when I do something, I give it my all, and I don't stop until I do.
(22:06)
And sometimes I need to remember that I have to put other things first too. And I'm still trying to find that balancing act, and I wouldn't have that without my support from my husband who's been wonderful and patient with me when I'm dealing with union matters at eight o'clock at night and not spending that time with him and my son at home.
Aaron Chapin (22:28):
Well, you're not alone, Erin. There's so many of us that still struggle with that finding that. I've been doing this a long time and I struggle. I try to find a long weekend and it is a struggle just to unplug and do something that's going to make you better. I know a lot of our listeners probably have that same struggle.
Jeff Ney (22:50):
But keep searching for it, whatever that thing is going to be. But Erin, I think it's time for the pop quiz.
Aaron Chapin (22:55):
It's pop quiz time, Jeff. What is it?
Jeff Ney (22:57):
Fantastic. So, short answer. It's just going to be one event that is your favorite PSEA event that you have ever attended. So we're going to start with Dwayne.
Dwayne McCarthur (23:09):
House of Delegates.
Jeff Ney (23:10):
House of Delegates. Very good. Raquel?
Raquel Gray (23:13):
The Women's Leadership Conference because I met my very best PSEA friend there.
Jeff Ney (23:19):
Very nice. And Erin?
Raquel Gray (23:21):
Gettysburg.
Jeff Ney (23:22):
Nice. Excellent.
Aaron Chapin (23:23):
Wow, that is some different responses. I don't think I was quite expecting that eclectic response from her.
Jeff Ney (23:31):
It just goes to show you the PSEA puts on a lot of great events and people can pick their favorites.
Aaron Chapin (23:36):
Well, we put on a little bit of something for everybody.
Jeff Ney (23:38):
Yes, we do.
Aaron Chapin (23:40):
Well, I don't know about you, Jeff. I could have done a double episode today.
Jeff Ney (23:44):
Absolutely, we should.
Aaron Chapin (23:44):
It was a lot of fun. We had a bunch more questions that we would've loved to have gotten to, but we are out of time. And our guests today have been Erin Huwalt, Raquel Gray, and Dwayne MacArthur. Thank you very much for joining us today. Thank you Erin, Raquel, and Dwayne.
Erin Huwalt (24:03):
Thank you very much.
Aaron Chapin (24:04):
You got it. And thanks to all our listeners for tuning in again. Thanks for supporting us, and keep listening to all these episodes. We hope you find one here or there, or maybe all of them are just ones that you just can-
Jeff Ney (24:19):
I like them all. I keep them on repeat.
Aaron Chapin (24:20):
I love them. They're good, it's a good time. But we're always looking for feedback, so if you've got some feedback, don't hesitate to reach out if you've got some comments. Hey, we're still looking for somebody to ask Jeff for some advice. I don't know if it's going to happen.
Jeff Ney (24:32):
I may just volunteer by myself.
Aaron Chapin (24:34):
I might have to just send one in myself, yes. But again, if you've got some comments or questions, you send an email to podcast@psea.org. Again, I am Aaron Chapin.
Jeff Ney (24:45):
And I'm Jeff Nye.
Aaron Chapin (24:46):
And you have been listening to Duty Free Lunch. Bye for now.
Voiceover (24:53):
You've been listening to Duty Free Lunch, with the Pennsylvania State Education Association. Visit psea.org/podcast to learn more. And don't forget to subscribe and share. Paid for by the Pennsylvania State Education Association.