During the National Executive Council meeting last week, AFGE National President Everett Kelley dedicated the 7th floor conference room at AFGE national headquarters in honor of National Veterans Affairs Council President Emerita Alma L. Lee.
After serving a historic 12 terms for 33 years as president of AFGE’s NVAC, Lee retired in November 2025. She began her 35-year career as a federal employee at the Salem VA Medical Center, where she worked first in and later Nursing Service. Throughout her career she demonstrated a commitment to veterans, their families, and her fellow federal employees.
Her union career began at the grassroots level at AFGE Local 1739 at the Salem VA Medical Center, where she served in many positions including steward, vice president, and fair practices coordinator for the 4th District. She also served as president of Local 1739 for 17 years. Historically, Lee was the first woman elected as president of her local and was the first woman elected to head the AFGE National VA Council.
With Lee seated beside him, President Kelley summarized her tremendous record of accomplishments in dedicating the conference room in her honor. Here is an edited transcript of his remarks:
“Today, we dedicate this conference room in honor of a woman whose name has become synonymous with service, leadership, determination, and excellence – President Alma L. Lee.
“Now, conference rooms are important places. They are where strategies are developed. Where difficult decisions are made. Where contracts are negotiated. Where leaders come together to solve problems and build a stronger future. And it is fitting that this room bears Alma Lee’s name. Because for more than three decades, Alma Lee sat at tables just like these – fighting for workers, advocating for veterans, mentoring leaders, and ensuring that AFGE members always had a voice.
“And throughout her remarkable career, she continued opening doors so that others could walk through them. She never sought recognition for herself. She sought results for the members she represented. And because of that commitment, the honors followed. The Bernice Heffner Award. Outstanding Labor Woman of the Year in Virginia. The AFGE Living Legend Award. And countless others.
“But if you asked Alma Lee what mattered most, I suspect she would not talk about awards. She would talk about members. She would talk about the nurses, the housekeepers, the medical support assistants, the technicians, the clinicians, and the countless VA employees who dedicate their lives to caring for America’s veterans. Because that was always her focus. People. Not titles. Not trophies. People.
“As Chief Negotiator on the 1997, 2011, and 2023 VA Master Agreements, she demonstrated what true union leadership looks like. When others saw obstacles, she saw opportunities. When others became discouraged, she became determined. When others were willing to settle, she continued fighting. Her resilience and never-give-up attitude helped transform NVAC into AFGE’s largest council and the most powerful labor organization at the Department of Veterans Affairs. And under her leadership, NVAC achieved another historic milestone in 2025 – surpassing 140,000 members, the highest membership level in its history.
“That achievement did not happen by accident. It happened because members trusted her. They trusted her judgment. They trusted her integrity. And they trusted her commitment. She fought for workers. She fought for veterans. She fought for fairness. And she fought for this union. When things got tough, she didn’t run from the fight. She ran toward it.
“So today, as we dedicate this conference room, we are doing more than placing a name on a wall. We are making a statement. We are declaring that service matters. That courage matters. That leadership matters. And that the contributions of Alma L. Lee will never be forgotten.
“May every meeting held in this room remind us of her determination. May every negotiation conducted here reflect her tenacity. May every leader who enters this room be inspired by her example. And may future generations ask, “Who was Alma Lee?” So that we can proudly tell them: She was a pioneer. She was a trailblazer. She was a champion for workers. She was a fierce advocate for veterans. She was a mentor. She was a leader. She was AFGE’s Big Dog. And she helped build the AFGE we know today.”
Click here for photos from the room dedication.
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