NYSUT Vice President Kathleen M. Donahue is a veteran union leader, educator, advocate and voice for many constituencies inside the NYSUT family.

In her statewide leadership role, Donahue coordinates the union's Program Services department, which addresses the needs of NYSUT's school-related and health care professionals, BOCES members, members of small and rural locals, new members and retirees. It also provides training in workplace health and safety issues. Donahue also oversees NYSUT's social service program for in-service and retiree members, and her office monitors health care trends across the state.

Donahue brought 30 years of elementary and middle school classroom experience to office when she was elected in April 2005. She was the 24-year president of the Hilton Teachers Association and the 20-year president of the Monroe County Federation of Teachers.

Concerned about the challenges faced by public education, Donahue helped create the Monroe County Education Coalition Steering Committee in 1996 - in collaboration with superintendents, school board members, parent and community leaders and dozens of union activists - to advocate for Monroe's mix of urban, suburban and rural schools.

These efforts brought her into more statewide activities, serving on the union's Board of Directors and Executive Committee. In 2005, Donahue became a vice president of the American Federation of Teachers, one of NYSUT's two national affiliates, along with the National Education Association. She also serves as chair of the AFT Retiree Committee.

This wide variety of experiences has been an asset as she has served as mentor and ambassador to unions across the world. She helped launch the Democracy in Education program in Poland to assist the fledgling Solidarity Democracy movement. She recently led an AFT delegation at an international health and safety conference in Portugal, and has also represented America's unions in the former Soviet Union, Israel, the Ukraine and the Republic of Georgia.

March 2008