After four decades of dedicated service as an educator and union activist, NYSUT Executive Vice President Alan Lubin will be retiring in January.

Following his announcement at the September meeting of the NYSUT Board of Directors, members and fellow officers honored Lubin with a prolonged standing ovation. It reflected the deep respect he has earned in his years as a union leader — first at the United Federation of Teachers in New York City and then at the helm of NYSUT's Legislative Department.

A former fourth-grade teacher, Lubin became active in the union almost immediately after joining in 1967. In 1993, after 26 years as an educator and elected leader of the UFT, he was elected NYSUT's executive vice president, only the third person to hold that post.

Lubin is a major force behind one of the country's best organized member-driven political action efforts. Under his leadership, contributions to VOTE-COPE, the union's voluntary political action fund, reached more than $7.1 million.

A well-known and influential figure at the Capitol, Lubin has helped bring forward landmark legislation, including a permanent Cost-of-Living Adjustment for retired public employees, the Schools Against Violence in Education act and a law mandating that every state public school have a defibrillator available.

After bringing tens of thousands of activists to Albany for a historic March for Public Education in 2003, Lubin helped convince lawmakers to override a series of painful vetoes and restore state education aid.

Even in the current fiscal crisis, Lubin advocated for a sustained investment in education, including the State and City University systems.

Lubin is well-known for his expertise in health care reform, Medicare rights and his ability to build bridges with the business community, serving as a founder and co-chair of the Business and Labor Coalition of New York.

He is known for his commitment to civil rights and to solidarity with other unions, and led an initiative to strengthen NYSUT outreach in hiring a strong and diverse staff.