About Us
UFF-Brevard is the sole collective bargaining agent for the faculty at Eastern Florida State College (previously Brevard Community College). United Faculty of Florida is the higher education local of the Florida Education Association (FEA), and is affiliated with the National Education Association (NEA), American Federation of Teachers (AFT) and the AFL-CIO.
The organization is the exclusive bargaining agent representing all full-time faculty at Eastern Florida State College through collective bargaining, contract enforcement and faculty advocacy. Our overall objectives, as stated in the chapter's By-Laws, include:
- Bringing teachers, librarians, and counselors into a relationship of mutual assistance and cooperation; obtaining for them the rights and privileges to which they are entitled.
- Taking appropriate action in order to safeguard due process and academic freedom.
- Taking appropriate political action that will promote passage of progressive legislation to improve the economic and educational condition of society.
- Promoting shared governance
- Encouraging academic excellence in teaching, research, and community service
All full time faculty including librarians and counselors are eligible to become members of UFF-Brevard, as are retired faculty who wish to maintain the many benefits of union affiliation.
Your UFF-Brevard 2016 Executive Council
Dr. Laura Earle, President
Dr. Laura Earle has been Program Manager and full professor of the Veterinary Technology Program at EFSC since 2005. She was a practicing small animal veterinarian in Brevard County for more than 22 years. She graduated from University of Florida with a Bachelor's of Science in 1985, her Doctor of Veterinary Medicine in 1989, and her Masters of Public Health - Public Health Practice in 2012. She is currently pursuing another Masters in Clinical Toxicology. She holds a Certificate in Public Health from the National Board of Public Health Examiners, is accredited for Class II animals through the USDA Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, holds a Certificate in Homeopathy from the Dynamis School of Homeopathy, is a Certified Animal Chiropractor through the American Veterinary Chiropractic Association, and is certified in Canine Rehabilitation through the Canine Rehabilitation Institute.
Prior to becoming faculty, she participated on the Veterinary Technology Advisory Committee as member since the inception of the program, and acted as chair for 3 years. She is a current member of the American Veterinary Medical Association, Florida Veterinary Medical Association (member of One Health Task Force, and the Veterinary Assistant/Technician Certification Committee), Brevard County Veterinary Medical Association (former Vice-President), Association of Avian Veterinarians, American Association of Laboratory Animal Science, American Society of Public Health, Association of Veterinary Technician Educators, American Veterinary Chiropractic Association, and the American Holistic Veterinary Medical Association.
Since beginning as faculty at EFSC, Dr. Earle has been active in UFF-Brevard. She has participated on the UFF-Brevard bargaining team, and has held several offices including Secretary, Vice-President, and Grievance co-Chair. She also participated on the ad hoc Load Calculations Committee.
For the college, Dr. Earle has participated on the following committees: Academic Affairs Council (Health Sciences rep, Cocoa Campus rep), Curriculum Development Committee (former chair and current member), Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee, Veterinary Technology Advisory Committee, Diversity Committee (member), Health Sciences Tenure Committee, Health Sciences ADPA Committee, Assessment Committee (ex-officio), and Assessment Research SubCommittee (member).
She was primary author of the Veterinary Technician Examination through Focus Learning, and has written chapters for several books including McCurnin's Clinical Textbook for Veterinary Technicians: Teacher's Manual. She is an item writer for the national board exam for the American Veterinary Chiropractic Association, and for Elsevier's Veterinary Technician National Exam HESI board review.
She is active in community education and regularly offers presentations to the 4H Vet Tech Crew and the 4H Hippology Club. She has also filmed several public service announcements for animal bite prevention and Rabies awareness.
She plays principal oboe with Melbourne Community Orchestra where she acts as the Executive Board Secretary and plays oboe, English horn and percussion for Central Florida Winds. She also sings soprano with several groups (Brevard Community Chorus and Space Coast Symphony Orchestra) and is a musical theater buff.
Harold Zacks, Vice President
Lynn Spencer, Secretary
Lynn Spencer was born and raised in Pittsburgh. She earned a BFA from the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, and an MFA from Louisiana State University in Baton Rouge, both in the field of visual arts. Her work has been exhibited in venues across the southeast and is found in private and public collections in the region, including the City of Orlando and the Maitland Museum of Art. She was a member of "Ten Women in Arts" for many years. She has conducted workshops, worked as an artist-in-residence, and served as a juror at art exhibits in the region. She has worked as a humanities and art instructor at Eastern Florida State in a full-time capacity since 2000. She has been involved with the Brevard chapter of UFF for many years, serving as secretary, senator, and lead negotiator. She lives with her family on Merritt Island.
Mr. Niko Koukos, Treasurer
Mr. Koukos has lived in Titusville for the last 13 years and has taught for EFSC since 2006. Prior to teaching at EFSC, he worked as an EMT, Paramedic and Registered Nurse. He currently teaches in the paramedic program for the Institute of Public Safety and continues to work as a registered nurse for an eye surgery center in Melbourne.
Mr. Koukos has been a proud member of UFF since he started as a full-time instructor in 2010, currently serving as the chapter treasurer and a member of the bargaining team. He says, "for me it was important to join the union. I know that the voice of many are heard louder than the whisper of few."
Mr. Koukos holds two AS degrees in Emergency Medical services and Nursing and is completing his bachelor's degree in healthcare management this summer. He plans to continue on to obtain his master's degree in healthcare management. He also hold certificates in advanced cardiac life support, pediatric cardiac life support, advanced basic trauma life support, and prehospital trauma life support.
Your UFF-Brevard 2016-17 Bargaining Team
Mr. Niko Koukos, Chief Negotiator
Mr. Koukos has lived in Titusville for the last 13 years and has taught for EFSC since 2006. Prior to teaching at EFSC, he worked as an EMT, Paramedic and Registered Nurse. He currently teaches in the paramedic program for the Institute of Public Safety and continues to work as a registered nurse for an eye surgery center in Melbourne.
Mr. Koukos has been a proud member of UFF since he started as a full-time instructor in 2010, currently serving as the chapter treasurer and a member of the bargaining team. He says, "for me it was important to join the union. I know that the voice of many are heard louder than the whisper of few."
Mr. Koukos holds two AS degrees in Emergency Medical services and Nursing and is completing his bachelor's degree in healthcare management this summer. He plans to continue on to obtain his master's degree in healthcare management. He also hold certificates in advanced cardiac life support, pediatric cardiac life support, advanced basic trauma life support, and prehospital trauma life support.
Dr. Debra Marshall
Dr. Marshall is a long-time resident of Brevard County. She has been teaching for several years, but didn't begin teaching until after having been in the US Army and then working for the State of Florida as a child abuse investigator.
Since beginning as faculty at EFSC, Dr. Marshall has been an active member of UFF-Brevard, and currently serves as the Vice President. She has participated on the UFF-Brevard bargaining team for the past several years. She has served on various committees for the College including the Assessment Committee and ADPA. She has also created several new sociology courses for EFSC, including two Honors courses and other sociology courses of special interest. Dr. Marshall has taught for several colleges and universities in the past, teaching myriad sociology courses in various online formats. She enjoys online teaching and learning new technologies to help online students overcome the difficulties associated with mastering course content in an online environment. She has also, of late, begun to learn web site design and maintains a very active YouTube channel with more than 2,000 subscribers.
Her undergraduate degree is in Liberal Studies, with a minor in Women's Studies. Her master's degree is in Applied Sociology, which is a specialized area of sociology that uses sociology "in the field" in an array of ways. She also holds two graduate certificates--one in Gender Studies and one in Domestic Violence. She has completed the National Institutes of Health (NIH) Office of Extramural Research "Protecting Human Research Participants" training course and the Collaborative Institutional Training Initiative (CITI) "Research with Human Subjects" training course for social and behavioral research investigators. She recently completed her PhD in Sociology; her dissertation researched privatization of family safety agencies through in-depth interviews of caseworkers at a local agency. She is also lead author of "Case Worker Perceptions of Private Agency Family Safety Program Effectiveness," accepted in the Journal of Applied Social Sciences (spring 2015), along with co-authors, Drs. John Lynxwiler and David Gay at UCF.
Dr. Marshall is a world traveler, having visited about two dozen countries and more than half of the US. Her husband recently earned his private pilot's license which has allowed them to explore more of the Southeastern United States in their small, 1970's single-engine Cessna (yes, she is also a very brave woman).
Harold Zacks
Content withheld on request.
FEA/NEA/AFT/AFL-CIO