Orchard Park Teachers Association, led by President Adam Ziccardi, celebrated its 50th anniversary with a reception and dinner last week, commemorating its illustrious past and looking ahead to continued support for excellence and solidarity.
Honored for their courage as members of the “Orchard Park Eight” who were jailed for 18 days during OPTA’s 1975 strike are, from left: Jim Wilson; then-OPTA President Tom Rivers; and Doug Johnston. Unable to attend were Jim Pawlak, John "Jack" Roberts, and Robert Stuhr; Robert Zoeller and Dan Carnivale are deceased.
OPTA officers, from left: Treasurer Peter Kalenik; Secretary Joy Michener; President Adam Ziccardi; Vice-President Karen Sreniawski; and 2nd Vice-President Josh Dannecker.
The sign says it all as OPTA President Adam Ziccardi stands next to a display of memorabilia organized and preserved by OPTA Historian David Wert. Ziccardi says: "Unions promote and protect professions of all kinds. Quality work earns quality respect. There's always ways to improve and we're proud to be at the forefront making those improvements these past 50 and for the next 50 years."