Vanessa L. Fields, president of the Philadelphia Chapter of the National Organization for Women (Philly NOW), enjoys a long tenure as a labor leader and civic activist. She heads AFSCME District Council (DC) 47 Retirees Chapter and is chairperson of the Philadelphia Commission for Women. In addition to being involved in local constituency engagement, she is an Executive Board Member of the Coalition of Labor Union Women (CLUW); chairperson of the Community Committee with the A. Philip Randolph Institute (APRI); and member of the Coalition of Black Trade Unionist (CBTU),Open Wards and the LincolnUniversity Alumni association.
Vanessa, a retired social worker, is the recipient of the Karen Silkwood Award from PHILAPOSH for her work in preventing tuberculosis in the workplace, the Women of Moxie Award, Minds of Men Community Outreach Award and MLK Labor Leader Award.
Vanessa earned a Master of Human Services from Lincoln University. She is a lifelong resident of Philadelphia where she currently resides with her two grandsons who she has supported as a legal guardian after the passing of her daughter, Aieshawho died from complications of multiple Sclerosis in August 2019.