Ann Adkisson Elected New MAPE Meet and Confer Speaker Adkisson brings experience, collaboration to new MAPE executive leadership role

Ann Adkisson’s path through MAPE leadership has taken her humble beginnings to the negotiating table and now to a new role helping shape the union’s future.

Adkisson, a member of MAPE Local 1401 and a state employee for 16 years, was elected the union’s new Meet and Confer Speaker during the recent MAPE Negotiations Convention in Shoreview.

The position is the latest step in a MAPE journey that began when Adkisson became a steward. She has since spent 10 years involved with the Department of Revenue’s Meet and Confer, gaining firsthand experience representing members, working through workplace issues and building consensus among employees with different perspectives.

That experience, she said, has prepared her to help strengthen Meet and Confer’s role within MAPE.

“It’s important for me to give greater Minnesota a voice,” Adkisson said. “Meet and Confer is an outlier because we’re agency based, not necessarily regionally based. It is a growing group that I believe should have a big role when it comes to contract work and supplementals. It is important this position helps Meet and Confer develop as part of the collective power of MAPE.”

Adkisson also hopes to restore the Meet and Confer Speaker vote at Delegate Assembly, giving Meet and Confer representatives a stronger voice in the union’s governance. Her combination of worksite experience, Meet and Confer involvement and knowledge of MAPE’s governance structure is exactly what supporters say makes her an effective choice for the position.

John Ferrara, vice chair of the Statewide Constitution and Rules Committee and a member of MAPE Local 2001, said Adkisson has a rare ability to bring people with different perspectives together while keeping the broader impact of decisions in mind.

“Our union is going through a transformative period right now,” Ferrara said. “I believe Ann will have a positive impact on the direction that takes both at the negotiations table and on the executive committee.”

Ferrara said Adkisson’s strength is not simply in advocating for individual members or groups, but in helping people understand how their decisions can affect others.

“Ann is great at bringing together different voices and ideas and helping people consider the impact of actions on other groups,” he said. “That is an essential skill in building solidarity and power.”

Her familiarity with MAPE’s governance structure is another asset, Ferrara said, noting that Adkisson understands how members can turn their priorities into meaningful action within the union.

“She is also excellent at helping members navigate how to achieve their goals within our governance structure, making sure those actions can be as effective as possible,” he said.

David Freeman, MAPE Region 21 regional director and a member of MAPE Local 2101, echoed that assessment. During his time on the MAPE Board of Directors, Freeman said he has seen Adkisson consistently put members at the center of decision-making.

“Ann is a superbly qualified individual for this role,” Freeman said. “In the past year of me being on the MAPE Board of Directors, I have seen Ann engage in decision-making that always holds the needs of individual members at heart.”

Adkisson’s 16 years of state service also give her a valuable understanding of the workplace, and the challenges Meet and Confer teams face when trying to engage members, Freeman said.

“She has decades of experience in state service and her longevity at the state gives her insight into how Meet and Confer teams can be most engaging and effective in their work,” he said. “Ann will be amazing in this role.”

For Adkisson, the new position is an opportunity to build on the work she has already done as a steward and Meet and Confer representative while helping bring more voices into MAPE’s collective work.

As MAPE enters what leaders describe as a transformative period, Adkisson’s ability to bridge perspectives, navigate the union’s governance and advocate for members could make her a key voice in determining what comes next.

Her election victory reflects not only where she has been within MAPE, but also where she believes Meet and Confer can go — as a stronger, more influential part of the union’s collective power.