The New York State Correctional Officers and Police Benevolent Association, Incorporated (NYSCOPBA) membership elected three new leaders this month after votes were counted in the runoff election. Chris Summers was elected President, Matt Keough was elected Executive Vice President, and Pamela Welch was elected Treasurer to fill out the ten-person Executive Board.
The runoff election occurred after the initial election on September 21st. Each newly elected position serves a three-year term.
Chris Summers is an 18-year veteran who currently holds the rank of Sergeant and most recently served as Executive Vice President. Previously he served as the Recording Secretary for the union.
Matt Keough is a 30-year veteran who was a Business Agent for the union in the Northern Region prior to being elected Executive Vice President.
Pamela Welch is an 11-year veteran who was assigned as a Sergeant out of the Western Region prior to being elected Treasurer.
“I would like to thank everyone who voted on this historic day. I look forward to working with every member of the Executive Board to ensure that we make the needs of our membership our biggest priority. Our membership has been under siege over the last three years as inmate violence has skyrocketed in our correctional facilities. I will be dedicated to fighting for our members over the next three years to ensure they receive the support they deserve from DOCCS and the State Legislature. They perform one of the most dangerous jobs in law enforcement and they deserve no less. I would also like to thank Michael Powers who served as NYSCOPBA President for the last nine years. He served during a time when there were calls to defund law enforcement and many progressive policies were put into place that made our profession more dangerous. Again, I look forward to hitting the ground running to make sure our 17,000 members are compensated fairly, treated with respect, and provided with the resources they deserve to perform their duties in a safe environment. – stated Chris Summers, NYSCOPBA President.
