NEW YORK , April 11, 2008 — Cora Shillingford, leader of the United Federation of Teachers' Visiting Nurse Service Chapter, was presented New York State United Teachers' Health Care Professional of the Year Award today at the union's 36 th Representative Assembly in New York City.
Shillingford, a 30-year veteran, said she chose to study nursing after becoming gravely ill as a young woman and experiencing the compassionate and color-blind nursing care that the nurses provided. "It didn't matter," she said, "White, black. . . they treated us all they same."
Shillingford is a member of NYSUT's statewide Health Care Professionals Council and active in many American Federation of Teachers committees. In addition to her union work, Shillingford is proud of her involvement with the Church of the Holy Redeemer in Brooklyn, where she is a member of the board of trustees.
"Cora has been a uniting force in the Visiting Nurse Service," said NYSUT President Richard C. Iannuzzi. "Her membership outreach efforts are not only in New York City's boroughs, but stretch into Nassau and Suffolk counties."
NYSUT represents more than 585,000 teachers, school-related professionals, academic and professional faculty in higher education professionals in education and health care and retirees. NYSUT is affiliated with the American Federation of Teachers, National Education Association and the AFL-CIO.
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