Member Spotlight: Karen Sellers

Being a strong union member runs in the family for Karen Sellers. Karen is a night shift LPN on 4West, and just celebrated her 3 year anniversary at Methodist in January. “I signed an SEIU card on day one, in orientation,” she says with a smile. “My daddy was a member of the United Mine Workers of America, and if I had any ideas of not belonging to our union when I was hired here, he would whoop my butt!!” Karen started her healthcare career straight out of high school, and worked as a CNA at Briarcliff Health Care in Oak Ridge. She attended Tennessee Tech Center in Harriman, and earned her LPN degree, and worked at Fort Sanders Regional before coming to MMC in 2008.

Karen is married to her husband Josh, and they have 3 children, Hanna, 8 years old, and a pair of 3 year old twins, Elizabeth and Elijah. The Sellers family also includes Pepper, a dog that Josh adopted 12 years ago from a high school friend. Karen’s favorite food is Mexican, and her family loves Nachos. Her favorite music is Modern Country, and she enjoys artists such as Kenny Chesney, Brad Paisley, Miranda Lambert, and Keith Urban. When not at work, Karen likes to watch movies, enjoys activities with the kids, and is an avid reader. Some of her favorite authors are James Patterson and Patricia Cornwell, as well as the Harry Potter novels. Being an active union member, Karen encourages and educates her co-workers on union membership and activity. She is also an advocate for improved communication between caregivers and management. Her vision is improved healthcare by getting everyone on the same page. Karen has pearls of wisdom for coworkers who aren’t union members yet. “There are many benefits to being a member of SEIU. It’s great to have union leaders who work side by side with you, and understand what you’re going through. I know this union stands for all workers, no matter who you are, or what initials you have behind your name.”

Her daddy must be proud.