WSNA welcomes Gerard Friesz as executive director

The WSNA Board of Directors selected Gerard Friesz as the new executive director of WSNA, calling him the right leader for the times. He is taking over from David Keepnews, who is retiring after five years leading WSNA as it grew and raised its public profile. Friesz’s tenure began May 1, and Keepnews will stay through July to ensure a seamless transition.

The selection was made by a multilayer process driven by members and input from staff.

Friesz has worked in leadership roles at WSNA since 2019 as a director of operations and a labor advisor. He knows WSNA from the inside out. He has advised bargaining strategies and operations, and he understands the complexities of running a growing statewide organization. He has also been a strong advocate for nursing issues.

He spent his career working in unions. He began as a public-sector organizer in North Dakota and went on to lead statewide unions as an executive director in Washington, Minnesota, and North Dakota.

Here is our Q&A with the new executive director.

Why is this role a good fit for you?

I think it’s a good fit largely because it’s a natural extension of the work I’ve done throughout my career.

I have had the great fortune of working alongside members, leaders, and staff who, like me, believe that the most powerful and effective way to advance one’s profession, improve conditions at work, and advocate for the population being served is through their union and professional association. This has been true whether representing public employees, classified school employees, teachers, higher-education faculty, or nurses. I also have a deep understanding of labor unions and associations: how they are structured, governed, regulated, and administered, which will translate well to this new assignment.

The skills and experiences I have, together with my life-long commitment to advocating for workers through the labor movement, will help build an even stronger WSNA.

What are your priorities?

WSNA is uniquely positioned to speak to both the economic interests of our members and the professional interests of all nurses in Washington. A priority of mine is to ensure we remain a powerful union and professional association because these economic and professional interests are inseparable.

Every nurse in Washington should continue to look to WSNA as the voice of the nursing profession, and our union members should continue to know that WSNA’s advocacy for the profession of nursing will continue to be an important part of our union’s work.

Like any union and professional association, WSNA’s strength comes from the diverse experiences of every member we represent. Creating entry points for members to participate and contribute to their local, state, regional, and national organizations will be a priority.

WSNA’s commitment to ensure all communities have access to safe, quality healthcare and all workers have the right to form, join, and fully participate in their union will require the power that comes through solidarity with labor and community allies.

We cannot do this work alone. Solidifying our partnerships with other unions, state nurses' associations, the Washington state and regional labor councils, and community allies will be a priority because it is fundamental to protecting and advancing our interests and advocating for the communities WSNA members serve.

Tell us about your background

I grew up in Mandan, North Dakota, in a union household. My dad worked at a creamery and was a proud union member who voted yes to form his union and twice walked the strike picket line to defend it.

In high school, I was passionate about music. I played percussion in the orchestra — any drum I could get my hands on in the marching band. I also played in a jazz band and pit orchestra for school musicals. Music was an important creative and social outlet for me. I still love music and have discovered I am now a much better audience member and listener than performer.

I graduated from college at the University of Mary with a bachelor of science in business administration. After graduation, I became a union organizer and representative for public employees in North Dakota. I was later appointed executive director of the North Dakota Public Employees Association, the first of what are now four statewide unions I would lead. I also worked for WSNA’s national union partner, the AFT, in a variety of positions that included serving as a regional director in three regions: Northeast, Great Lakes, and Western.

Earlier in my career, I was a delegate and later president of the AFL-CIO Central Labor Council in Bismarck, North Dakota, and was elected to the statewide position of secretary-treasurer of the North Dakota AFL-CIO.

What is something you are professionally passionate about?

Advancing the power of workers through strong democratic organizations.

What is one thing you still want to learn on the job?

While I come to this position with many experiences that will make for a smooth executive director transition and beyond, I am not a registered nurse. In the seven years I have been with WSNA, I have acquired a much better understanding of the profession of nursing and certainly the issues facing our nurse members. So, I am committed to learning even more and am thankful to have more than 21,000 member experts who can continue to educate me.

On the personal side, what is something you are passionate about? 

I would say I am more of an “interests” person. I have a lot of interests: hiking in our beautiful state, live music performances, documentaries and other films, reading, my cooking, and baking (hasn’t killed me yet). The list could go on and on. I haven’t dedicated enough time and energy to any one of those interests to confidently say I am passionate about them, but I do enjoy them all.

What is a pet peeve?

Now, if I told you that, I would limit the things I can complain about, which is half the fun of having a pet peeve.

What are your superpowers?

I have been told I am a good listener — something that has served me well in establishing relationships and advancing my work throughout my career. I suppose that is a superpower. I would much prefer being able to fly, but in the meantime, I will embrace what I have been given.

Do you have a favorite quote?

There are many, but one that has had staying power is a quote by Theodore Roosevelt, sometimes referred to as "Daring greatly" or "It’s' not the critic that counts."

 I received the quote, framed, as a gift, early in my career after my union introduced legislation to extend collective bargaining rights to public employees. We were not successful in passing that legislation, and as a younger, more idealistic leader, it was a pretty crushing defeat.

Theodore Roosevelt's quote reminds us that spending one's life in pursuit of a worthy cause may lead to triumph and it may lead to failure.

 But, as Roosevelt said:

"If he fails, at least he fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who knew neither victory nor defeat." (April 23, 1910)

If you are a union leader, member, or staff, you know all about daring greatly for a worthy cause. You have experienced victory and defeat. That's why this quote continues to resonate with me.