Karen R. McLean, Herricks Teachers Association
Karen McLean has served the Herricks school district as payroll supervisor for more than 30 years and as treasurer of the Herricks Teachers Association for the past 15. She first ran for treasurer at the encouragement of a past HTA president, lost by a single vote, requested a revote, and won by 49.
“The fiduciary responsibility that I hold in this office means a whole lot to me,” McLean said, crediting her executive team as the reason the work runs so smoothly.
Her leadership reaches well beyond the local. McLean chairs NYSUT’s SRP Advisory Committee and serves as one of five ERS consultants who travel to locals to help members understand their pension options. She is also helping to pilot a new SRP Mentoring Program at Herricks that she hopes will inspire mentees to eventually become mentors themselves.
McLean’s advice to new members is simple: come in with an open mind. The contracts and benefits members enjoy every day, she said, were won by people who sat at the bargaining table on their behalf. “We all have a voice,” McLean said. “Open up your mouth. Speak, ask questions.”
Born in Jamaica, McLean moved to the United States at 13. Her family didn't have a lot, but she never forgot the people who “poured into her along the way.” That gratitude fuels everything she does — in the union and in her community.