Hello NTEU Chapter 224, I am Don Nagel, an Attorney Advisor in the Valparaiso Indiana Hearing Office, and the former Treasurer for Chapter 224. I am also currently a Chapter Steward, but I want to be your Chapter President! Let me tell you why!

I have spent years advocating for our members, and know firsthand the challenges we face, such as DWPI pressures, vague directives, unfounded quality errors, and unrealistic management expectations. I draft almost daily, and have experienced all too often these issues, and regularly brought these concerns to the current Board. I will be the first to admit that some headway has been made, it was not enough and not in time. I will not fall for Agency stall tactics and wait years to challenged flawed performance metrics, only to then wait years more before relitigating settlements that do not materialize. I believe we need new leadership that acts swiftly and decisively on matters that impact our daily work experience, free from distractions and other agendas. 

I am not running on vague promises. Instead, I’m running to deliver practical results through effective and transparent leadership. Our team, Murphy, Nixon, Ryan, Bellin, and I, is made up of attorneys who draft decisions live the realities of this job. We understand what it means to be held to metrics that ignore context, to have to navigate poorly drafted instructions almost consistently, and to have to defend decisional drafts that management regularly questions, without cause. Like you we bristle at arbitrary rules and policies that serve no purpose but to make our lives harder. We have been there with you, in your shoes, and we are ready to lead from that experience.

If elected, our Board will be transparent, accountable, and resolute. We reject the model of a unitary executive who makes unilateral decisions, fold quickly, and leave potential gains on the table. We will strengthen training for representatives/stewards to ensure that everyone gets consistent and effective representation. We will grow our membership through relationships and results, not by waiting for an anti-union administration to be the catalyst, and we will leverage our membership growth into greater bargaining power. We will prioritize the issues that affect our day-to-day drafting activities. We want to foster a collaborative team environment and strong partnership with NTEU National because we believe the most effective advocacy is grounded in collective wisdom, and experience, not the judgment of a single individual.

We won’t mislead you or make promises we can’t keep, but we will fight for your rights and represent your interests with integrity and passion. Our Board will remain fully committed to you, with no divided loyalties and no desire to secure a position elsewhere within the Agency. We promise that every action we take will improve the job we do and reflect the values we share.

Please take time to review all of the candidates on this webpage. We are time-tested advocates with a clear vision and the skills to execute it. I respectfully ask for your vote, a vote for leadership built on legal expertise, skilled negotiation, and an unwavering commitment to act in your best interests.

Sincerely, 

Don