Meet Our Team
Mike Black
President & Steward
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Mike became active in the Union in early 2020 as he recognized how economic justice ties in with the broader push for social justice – and the powerful role unions can play in support of the cause. Prior to working for the Peace Corps, he served as a Community Economic Development Volunteer in Albania from 2017-2019, where he undertook a diverse range of activities in his community. While he misses Albania’s snow-topped mountains and ubiquitous invitations to coffee, he appreciates playing a role in inspiring the next generation of Peace Corps volunteers as the Regional Recruiter in his hometown of Boston. |
Josephine McGugan
Chief Steward
Josephine McGugan joined the Union after having a positive experience helping to negotiate a new contract for another ASFME union in 2015. After serving in Peace Corps Albania she knew she wanted to work for Peace Corps and took a role at HQ. She currently works in Staging and Pre-Departure as a Training Specialist. She views the Union as an way to help improve and straighten Peace Corps for all.
Alixandria Warren
Steward & Past President
Steward & Past President
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Alixandria Warren began as a quiet advocate for staff at Peace Corps and now she’s been elected President for the year 2022-2023. Alix joined the union because she was interested in having a voice in this agency. She started off working on committees, such as the policy and website committees. Later, joining the steward’s council as a member. She holds a B.A. in History from Milikin University and G.M.A. in International Relations from Webster University. From 2017 -2019 she served in Morocco as a Peace Corps Volunteer. |
Sierra Plato
Steward, Secretary, and Membership Coordinator
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Sierra Plato is a Raleigh, North Carolina native and graduated with a master’s degree in international studies and a B.A. in sociology from East Carolina University. Inspired at a young age to participate in advocacy work, Sierra developed a passion for understanding and addressing racial inequalities at home and abroad. She began her journey with the Peace Corps working as an English Teacher-Trainer in Costa Rica and some of her notable projects included teacher trainings, summer English camp, institutional English festivals, as well as wider community projects to address inequities in the Afro-Costa Rican population. Sierra then served as the Regional Recruiter in North Carolina for about four years using her passion for social change to inspire others to serve in the Peace Corps. Sierra is now the Program Specialist for the Office of University Programs covering the Midwest. Lover of the outdoors, mycology, and dance, Sierra maintains a rhythmic flow from the office to hiking trails.
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Davin Dearth
Steward
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Davin Dearth is the Digital Resource Librarian for the Office of Overseas Programming and Training Support. He holds a B.A. in Spanish and English from the University of Denver, an M.A. in English from the University of Wyoming, and a MSLIS in Library Science from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. He is a native of Colorado, and avid skier, hiker, and runner, and the owner of a 3-legged dog. He believes a strong union and robust workers’ rights are important in any workplace, but particularly in a mission driven organization like the Peace Corps that can sometimes succumb to the negative effects of vocational awe. |
Trina Van Schyndel
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Trina served in Peace Corps Ukraine from 2006-2008 as an education volunteer (TEFL Secondary Education). She now works as a Recruiter for the Peace Corps in the Office of Recruitment and Diversity, and her recruitment territory covers greater Chicago, greater Indianapolis, and western Indiana. She also volunteers as an Agency Duty Officer and Staging Facilitator and on several task teams and working groups. She began volunteering for the Union in 2023 as a Union Steward and as part of the CBA Negotiations Team, as well as by staffing Union office hours and providing New Employee Orientation sessions.
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Sylvia Cabus
Executive Board Member & Steward
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Sylvia joins OPATS from USAID, where she was a Senior Gender Advisor in the Gender Equality and Women's Empowerment (GenDev) Hub from 2016 to 2021. Before GenDev, Sylvia was a senior consultant providing technical assistance on an agency-wide institutional gender assessment for the Department of State’s Office of Global Women’s Issues (S/GWI). From 2010 to 2015, Sylvia was a gender advisor for USAID's Bureau for Food Security (BFS).
Overseas, she has worked for Catholic Relief Services in Kenya, Morocco, Mali, and Burkina Faso. In the U.S., Sylvia has worked with Heifer International, Handicap International, USAID/OFDA, and DevTech Systems. Her interest in gender and development stems from her Peace Corps service in Cameroon from 1993 to 1995. Sylvia received a B.A. in History from U.C. Berkeley and an M.A. in International Relations from the School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS) of Johns Hopkins University. |
Wyland Chapman
Treasurer & Steward
Wyland works as a Financial Management Specialist in the OCFO and served as an education volunteer in Ukraine from 2018-2020. He began volunteering for the Union in 2023, taking on steward work, treasurer duties, and editing the monthly newsletter. He believes a strong Union is important to Peace Corps' success and will continue to advocate for workers' rights after his term at the agency.
Joshua Castro
Steward
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When Joshua Castro was in third grade, he was transported from his classroom in Stuart, Florida to a village on the other side of the world through monthly letters from his class PenPal, a Peace Corps volunteer. Joshua joined the Peace Corps in 2015 as a Forestry Educator. He served in Paraguay from 2015-2017 promoting environmental stewardship and trash management practices. Some of his secondary projects involved teaching English, dengue prevention initiatives, and worm composting with small-scale farmers. Since returning to the states Joshua worked as an adjunct lecturer in dendrology at the University of Florida. In 2019, Joshua joined the agency as a regional recruiter for South Texas. In his spare time Joshua likes making short films, learning about financial literacy, and reading history. |
Taylor Morrison-Tucker
Steward
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Taylor Morrison-Tucker is the VIDA Product Owner in the Office of Global Operations. He holds a Bachelor's degree in Information Sciences and Technology from The Pennsylvania State University. He is passionate about using technology to improve lives and make a better experience for everyone. He is a veteran of the U.S. Air Force where he worked in an entirely different role on aircraft. He joined the agency in 2024 and believes that the union is an excellent place to advocate for workers' rights.
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Jeremy Houston
Steward
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Jeremy has approximately 10 years of federal service with work across Peace Corps, Homeland Security, and the US/Foreign Commercial Services. He is a RPCV Morocco – Youth Development. He has a B.A. Journalism, M.A. in Liberal Studies, and is a TESOL certified instructor. Pre-government, he worked as an administrator in student affairs and volunteer services. He is based in Houston, Texas where he serves as a mentor to newly arrived refugee youth.
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