Local Officers

Rosa Taormina, President
Rosa joined Salem State University in July 2017 as an Administrative Assistant II in the Bertolon School of Business. She became an APA union member in May 2018 when she was promoted to the role of Assistant Director of Operations, Assessment and Accreditation. After helping the school achieve initial AACSB accreditation, Rosa accepted a new position as a Business Advisor – CARES Act at the Massachusetts Small Business Development Center, where she has been helping small business owners navigate federal COVID relief programs.

Rosa served as chapter grievance officer since December 2018 and is excited to make a difference in this new role. She lives with her husband, two daughters, and Boston Terrier Jackie Daytona, in neighboring Beverly. A Connecticut native, Rosa has lived in Massachusetts since 2003 and tries very hard to get her children to pronounce the letter “r”. Rosa holds a BA from Providence College and a JD from Massachusetts School of Law.
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Derek A. Barr, Vice President
Derek Barr has been involved with the APA for over a decade at Salem State University, assisting with elections, special events and contract inquiries. He has worked as an instructional technologist in the The Center for Teaching Innovation for 13 years and the last 2.5 years in a dual role with Information Technology. Prior to working in the Center for Teaching Innovation, he worked for the Instructional Media Center for 14 years as an instructional media specialist.  Currently he serves as the Assistant Director of Digital Media and Classroom Technology Services in Information Technology. Barr’s hard work has been noted by receiving the governor’s Citation of Performance Recognition Award (three times in the past decade). Derek is here to answer your questions. If he can’t, he will get an answer for you. 
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Michael Pelletier, Lead Grievance Officer
Michael Pelletier has been an APA member since 2014, and was elected Chapter President of Salem State University in 2015. A former classified AFSCME member and overall State University System employee since 2008, Michael has familiarity with a number of constituents, groups and scenarios and has a wide canon of university functions, including Student Financial Aid, Student Accounts, Registrar’s office. Servicing currently as a Business Operations project manager working closely with Fleet management, Commonwealth Fuel Program, University Mail Services, to name several areas.

Brian Helman, Secretary, Grievance Officer
Brian has been an outspoken member of the Salem State community and staunch advocate for the APA since being hired as Assistant Director of Information Technology in 1997.  He has spent the majority of his professional career in public service and higher education – employed previously at the Suffolk County (NY) Library System, Adelphi University (NY) and Northeastern University (MA).  In his current role as Director of ITS Infrastructure Services, Brian has had an opportunity to impact every member of the Salem State Community.   He believes strongly in the benefits a strong and active union brings to the workplace and more importantly, to the community.  His new role as chapter secretary and member of the newly created Grievance Team is the natural progression of this passion.  An informed membership is an engaged membership.  Outside of Salem State, Brian is a husband of 22 years (insisting it must be more!), the father of 2 teens (hence the lack of hair) and a Yorkiepoo (who is better behaved than aforementioned teens), an avid baseball fan – having visited all 30 current MLB ballparks with his son, an active SCUBA diver, classical musician and member of the Salem State Chamber Orchestra, an active member of the extended Merrimack Valley Jewish Community and overall SciFi and Seinfeld geek.
Email Brian