Executive Biographies

President

RANDI WEINGARTEN is president of the United Federation of Teachers, representing more than 150,000 active and retired educators in the New York City public school system. She is also a vice-president of the 1.2-million member American Federation of Teachers and a board member of New York State United Teachers.

Secretary

MICHAEL MENDEL is secretary of the UFT. He is a product of the New York City school system, having attended PS 91 in Brooklyn, JHS 61 in Crown Heights, and Wingate HS. After that he attended Brooklyn College and then earned a master’s degree in Educational Administration from New York University.

Assistant Secretary

ROBERT ASTROWSKY, is assistant secretary of the UFT. He was born and raised in Brooklyn where he attended public schools including Brooklyn Technical HS. He earned his bachelor’s degree from Long Island University and his master’s from Hunter College.

Treasurer

MELVYN AARONSON is treasurer of the UFT. He has been actively involved in union affairs for more than 46 years, working with Al Shanker as one of the leaders of the strike in 1960 that established the UFT.

Assistant Treasurer

MONA ROMAIN is assistant treasurer of the UFT and has served as an elected trustee on the board of the Teachers’ Retirement System of the City of New York since 1998.

VP of Elementary Schools

MICHELLE BODDEN is vice president of elementary schools. She began her career as an elementary school teacher in 1984, in Brooklyn. She quickly became active in the union at her school and was elected chapter leader 1988.

VP of Junior High and Intermediate Schools

RICHARD FARKAS is vice president of junior high and intermediate schools. He grew up in Brooklyn during the 1950s

VP of Academic High School

LEO CASEY is vice president of academic high schools. Leo taught social studies at Clara Barton HS for 15 years before becoming a full-time UFT special representative, where he worked closely with previous high school vice presidents. He was elected to his present position in October 2007.

VP of Career and Technical High Schools

MICHAEL MULGREW is vice president of career and technical high schools. He was elected in the fall of 2005 to replace the retiring Frank Carucci, whom he had served for several years as a special assistant.

VP of Special Ed

CARMEN ALVAREZ is vice president for special education. Since her election to the post in 1990, she has been a key voice in the UFT’s efforts to improve education for children with disabilities.

VP of Education Issues

AMINDA GENTILE is vice president for education issues and she is also the director of the UFT Teacher Center, a professional development network providing research-driven, school-based support to schools and districts at more than 350 sites throughout New York City.