Faculty of Palm Beach State College
The United Faculty of Palm Beach State College was founded in October 1974
About Us
We Are a United Faculty of Florida Chapter
The United Faculty of Palm Beach State College was founded in October 1974. That’s almost four decades of faculty working to secure better wages, hours, working conditions and quality of life on behalf of their colleagues.
Our primary objectives, as stated in the Chapter Bylaws are:
- To organize full-time faculty of Palm Beach State College for mutual assistance and cooperation.
- To obtain for full-time faculty the rights to which they are entitled.
- To improve instruction at the College by collective bargaining for working conditions essential to the best professional service.
UFF of Palm Beach State College
Latest News & Resources
Please join us for our next collective bargaining session, Friday, January 23. The Teams link can be found here: https://www.pbsc.edu/about/district-board-of-trustees/public-notices.php
two types of grievances at Palm Beach State
Grievances
Grievances at Palm Beach State
There are two types of grievances at Palm Beach State: contractual grievances and non-contractual grievances. Contractual grievances may be filed if a faculty member, or the Union, believes Articles or Sections of the contract have been violated. The steps for filing contractual grievances are outlined in the Collective Bargaining Agreement (Article XXVIII, Section A).
Any bargaining unit member may file a contractual grievance, but only UFF members are entitled to union representation.
If you believe the College has not lived up to its part of the contract, you should to contact the grievance representative or union leadership on your campus. They will discuss the merits of your case with you, and advise you as to whether or not they believe it is strong enough to prevail in a grievance. If the Union feels the college has violated the contract, it will vigorously defend the contract, but expects you to actively participate in that defense.
Board Members
Staff and Board Members
The United Faculty of Palm Beach State College was founded in October 1974. That’s almost four decades of faculty working to secure better wages, hours, working conditions and quality of life on behalf of their colleagues.
Nick Larocca
President & UFF Senator
Nick LaRocca has served as President of UF - PBSC since 2014. He served as senator prior to his Presidency. He has also served as grievance chair. He teaches English on the Lake Worth campus.
Laura Clouse
Vice President
Laura Clouse is a Professor of English at Palm Beach State College on the Belle Glade and Loxahatchee Groves Campuses since 2014. In addition, she has served as Department Chair for both campuses since 2016. She has been a PBSC Union member since she arrived at the college, and Vice President since 2025.
Adella Irizarry
Treasurer
Bio coming soon
Alex Gorgevska
Secretary
Dr. Alexandra Gorgevska holds a Ph.D. in Biochemistry and completed a postdoctoral fellowship at the National Institutes of Health/National Institute on Aging (NIH/NIA). She has been a dedicated faculty member at Palm Beach State College since 2008, where she currently serves as Department Chair and full-time faculty for the Biotechnology A.S. program. In addition to her work in biotechnology, Dr. Gorgevska also teaches in the Chemistry Department. Dr. Gorgevska has also been an active advocate for faculty, serving as Union Secretary since 2023.
Paul Frankenhauser
Grievance Chairperson & Chief Negotiator
Paul Frankenhauser has served as the grievance chair since August 2024. He is the chief negotiator representing the faculty in collective bargaining and developing improved employment conditions through a straightforward, collaborative relationship with PBSC administrators. He teaches criminal justice on the Lake Worth campus.
Alix Joseph
Elections Committee Chairperson
Bio coming soon
Valrie Buchanan
UFF Senator
Bio coming soon
Kevin Coakley
UFF Senator
Bio coming soon
Daniel Creed
UFF Senator
Bio coming soon
Deborah Goldman
UFF Senator
Deborah. Goldman has dual licensing in both the Barbering and the Cosmetology fields. Ms. Goldman has been with PBSC since 2017 and is devoted to instructing, sharing her knowledge, and helping cultivate new Barbers and Cosmetologists. She has served the union as senator since 2021.
Mark Jones
UFF Senator & Negotiating Team Member
Mark Jones has taught in the criminal justice department at the Lake Worth campus of Palm Beach State College since 2006, first as a full-time adjunct instructor, then as a member of the faculty since 2014. He graduated from Florida State University with a bachelor's degree in history in 1983. He graduated from the University of Florida College of Law in 1986. He is admitted to the Florida Bar and has had a thirty-five year career as a practicing criminal defense attorney, first at the Palm Beach Public Defender's Office for fourteen years and then in a private solo law practice he continues to this day. He has served on the union executive board since 2014.
Janet Naughton
UFF Senator
Janet Naughton is a Faculty Librarian at the Lake Worth Campus, where she teaches Information Literacy and U.S. History. She has served as a union senator since 2021.
Lisa Seymour
UFF Senator & Negotiating Team Member
Lisa Seymour is a Faculty Librarian and Associate Professor at the Lake Worth Campus. Professor Seymour has been with PBSC since 2023. Before joining PBSC, she was an elementary and district librarian for the Palm Beach County School District. She is committed to helping PBSC students understand the research process and become information and AI literate. She is currently enrolled as a doctoral student at the University of Florida in an EdD Teaching and Learning program specializing in Educational Technology. She has served on the eBoard since 2024.
Cassandra Willbanks
UFF Senator
Bio coming soon