Erica Iheme

Erica Iheme is an organizer, educator, and researcher with more than 22 years of national union organizing experience. She currently serves as a Senior Associate at Cornell
University’s School of Industrial and Labor Relations (ILR), where she brings her deep expertise in labor strategy, worker leadership development, and social justice organizing to
the next generation of labor leaders. Previously, Erica was the Co-Executive Director at Jobs to Move America, where she
championed equitable economic development, good jobs, and inclusive public policy. Throughout her career, she has served as a labor educator, strategist, and coalition builder,
working alongside unions, worker centers, and community organizations to win tangible improvements for working people. In 2020, Erica returned to her home state of Alabama to help spark a new wave of energy for union organizing in the South—combining her national experience with a deep commitment to grassroots leadership in the region. She is a proud graduate of Alabama A&M University, a historically Black university in Normal, Alabama, where she earned both her undergraduate and graduate degrees in Urban Planning.
Beyond her professional work, Erica is a devoted mother, artist, and community leader. She continues to create spaces where art, organizing, and education intersect—nurturing
movements that are as culturally rich as they are politically powerful.