Welcome to our NTEU Chapter 161 website and resource platform. I am your Chapter President, Scott Polhemus. I was elected Chapter President in October of 2021. I began my career as a Customs & Border Protection Officer at Newark Seaport in February of 2009. From 2011-2016 I worked at Newark Liberty International Airport. In 2016 I became a Field Training Officer for the Newark Training Team where I remained until 2021.
I am grateful for my time with U.S. Customs & Border Protection(CBP). I take pride in my role and the title of CBP officer. I am thankful for the guidance, training, and support CBP has provided me and my family.
I am always eager to champion the successes of my co-workers, and my agency. Similarly, I have always been at the front line to challenge those viewpoints and individuals opposing the positive progress of our work environment, culture, or standards of my fellow co-workers. Naturally I wanted the platform to cultivate these values and represent myself and my co-workers to maintain those standards. This is why I contended for Chapter President in 2021 and embrace the role as Chapter leader with the goal of achieving and maintaining those ideals and more.
I am a proud delegate of The National Treasury Employees Union. NTEU as a National Union represents over 150,000 members spanning over 30 federal agencies. NTEU National provides legal representation, lobbying and support in all aspects of members concerns. NTEU Chapter 161 represents a bargaining unit of over 1,000 employees, consisting of CBP officers, CBP Agriculture Specialists, CBP Lab, CBP IT, CTPAT, CBP Seized Property Officers, and technicians just to name a few.
I am passionate and dedicated to my role as President of this Chapter. I look forward to exceeding your expectations and fulfilling the requests, and aspirations of all our members. I will achieve these goals with the help of my administration and the teamwork of the loyal, hardworking, and dedicated team I am blessed to have by my side.
Our core values and what we feel is most important for our success at Chapter 161 is:
COMMUNICATION: Conscious, constructive, continuous communication within our administration and within the membership.
TRANSPARENCY: The transparency of our goals our achievements and our failures.
UNITY: The unity amongst us all to accept, appreciate, embrace and protect each other as brothers and sisters of our CBP and NTEU extended family.
With our team and the dedication of us all to these core values, I believe we will continue to thrive as a chapter. We are all always available to support and protect our members. Please utilize this website as we continue to make improvements and add resources. Please direct all website suggestions to SCOTTNTEU161@GMAIL.COM
I thank you for your time and your participation as a member to this chapter.
Respectfully,
Scott M. Polhemus