SCSU AAUP: Gary Holder-Winfield

Gary spent several years in the United States Navy's Nuclear Power Program before leaving to work for Alstom Power Inc. Gary Served as a Technical Field Advisor for Alstom in its electrical engineering division and took on the duties of Electrical Construction Manager at his first project.

Gary founded QUEST Educational Initiatives in 2003. QUEST morphed from a company concerned solely with youth mentoring to one that currently deals with issues of diversity and minority youth employment skills.

In 2003 Gary left the engineering field so that he could return to school and begin to find a means by which he could get involved in the issues of the New Haven Community. In his second semester at Southern Connecticut State University word came down that there would be a 12.4% tuition increase. Gary organized students and the mayors of New Haven and Milford and held a press conference on SCSU's campus. Gary then led students to the board of trustees and the capitol. He testified on the issue at a public hearing where Bill Dyson chair of the Appropriations Committee (who Gary had interned for) and other members said they would do what they could to mitigate the rise.

Gary also ran for office in the local election cycle in 2003. While he lost that race he gained knowledge and a platform by which he and those he intended to serve could be heard. In 2004 Gary became co-chair of his ward's democratic committee.

Gary graduated from SCSU in 2006. Shortly after graduation Gary began working for the SCSU-AAUP. Since 2006 Gary has continued his political activism becoming the Chair of the Connecticut Federation of Black Democratic Clubs and speaking out on several issues. Gary recently delivered the keynote address for the "Leadership Through Service" conference a joint effort between the Academy of Public Service and Kennedy School of Government.