Monica Russo, Class of 1982

President of the SEIU Florida Healthcare Union, Monica Russo is a tireless advocate for more than 10,000 nurses and caregivers in the Sunshine State. She leads the effort to unite health care workers with the goal of raising professional and workplace standards, and Ms. Russo was instrumental in achieving the first safe staffing law for nursing homes in the United States. 

A graduate of Georgetown University, Ms. Russo has devoted her career to improving the lives of working families. She was a founder of the Immigrant Family Partnership, which includes Mi Familia Vota, a group which encourages civic participation in the Hispanic community. Ms. Russo has lectured across America and in Germany, Brazil, and Haiti, she has co-authored several professional publications, and she has testified before the Florida Legislature and the U.S. Congress.