Lettween replaces Alicia Ranney, who took a promotion to full-time staff with the neighborhood organization, Pillsbury United Communities.
“I’m pleased to be leaving MNFTC in a powerful position to shape trade policy and with such an experienced and capable director as Jessica,” Ranney said.
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Jessica Lettween
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“Jessica brings the vital experiences of educating and organizing community leaders on the most pressing issues in our economy,” said Steve Hunter, secretary-treasurer of the Minnesota AFL-CIO and member of the coalition’s steering committee. “This ability to maintain and build a broad-based alliance is critical to shaping the trade policies that affect all of us in this state.”
As an undergraduate student of Spanish and Latin American Studies, Lettween first became aware of the effect of failed trade policies.
“I did a research paper on globalization and was shocked to find how agreements such as NAFTA, that had been touted as beneficial, actually affected people and the environment in both our country and developing countries,” she said.
That initial awareness sparked an interest in pursuing a career where she would have the opportunity to fight for social justice. After college she moved to St. Paul, where she took a job as an administrator for a carpenter’s union, translating for Spanish speakers and assisting members who were unemployed. She worked there for four years before going to work for the AFL-CIO where she has been involved with education, outreach, and collaboration on campaigns at the grassroots and national levels for the past two years.
As a student pursuing a Master of Advocacy and Political Leadership degree, Lettween is intimately connected with the tools necessary to affect social change on the national and international scale.
“I look forward to being part of such a powerful coalition of activists and fighting for trade policies that will have far reaching benefits,” she said.
Andy Gussert, director of the National Citizens Trade Campaign, was pleased with the decision. “Jessica has the skill set and background to continue to build a strong coalition of activists who will hold Minnesota elected officials accountable for their trade votes. We need agreements that work in the interest of a majority of voters across the state of Minnesota, rather than for a handful of corporations that dole out massive political contributions and then write the trade deals in back rooms.”
For more information
Visit the Minnesota Fair Trade Coalition website
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Lettween replaces Alicia Ranney, who took a promotion to full-time staff with the neighborhood organization, Pillsbury United Communities.
“I’m pleased to be leaving MNFTC in a powerful position to shape trade policy and with such an experienced and capable director as Jessica,” Ranney said.
|
|
Jessica Lettween
|
Lettween will maintain and build the 18-year-old coalition of environmental, labor, consumer, family farm, and religious groups to advocate for fairer trade agreements. Most recently, she has been working extensively to affect policy as a volunteer organizer for Oxfam America campaigns such as Climate Change and Make Trade Fair.
“Jessica brings the vital experiences of educating and organizing community leaders on the most pressing issues in our economy,” said Steve Hunter, secretary-treasurer of the Minnesota AFL-CIO and member of the coalition’s steering committee. “This ability to maintain and build a broad-based alliance is critical to shaping the trade policies that affect all of us in this state.”
As an undergraduate student of Spanish and Latin American Studies, Lettween first became aware of the effect of failed trade policies.
“I did a research paper on globalization and was shocked to find how agreements such as NAFTA, that had been touted as beneficial, actually affected people and the environment in both our country and developing countries,” she said.
That initial awareness sparked an interest in pursuing a career where she would have the opportunity to fight for social justice. After college she moved to St. Paul, where she took a job as an administrator for a carpenter’s union, translating for Spanish speakers and assisting members who were unemployed. She worked there for four years before going to work for the AFL-CIO where she has been involved with education, outreach, and collaboration on campaigns at the grassroots and national levels for the past two years.
As a student pursuing a Master of Advocacy and Political Leadership degree, Lettween is intimately connected with the tools necessary to affect social change on the national and international scale.
“I look forward to being part of such a powerful coalition of activists and fighting for trade policies that will have far reaching benefits,” she said.
Andy Gussert, director of the National Citizens Trade Campaign, was pleased with the decision. “Jessica has the skill set and background to continue to build a strong coalition of activists who will hold Minnesota elected officials accountable for their trade votes. We need agreements that work in the interest of a majority of voters across the state of Minnesota, rather than for a handful of corporations that dole out massive political contributions and then write the trade deals in back rooms.”
For more information
Visit the Minnesota Fair Trade Coalition website