AFT Vice President
Kathleen M. Donahue, a veteran teacher with more than 24 years experience as president of the 400-member Hilton Teachers Association, was elected second vice president of New York State United Teachers in April 2005.

Donahue has served 21 years as president of the Monroe County Federation of Teachers, comprising 22 NYSUT local unions. The federation provides assistance and cooperation for member locals to promote and support public education in the county.

She sat on the NYSUT Board of Directors for eight years as an at-large director from Election Districts 5 and 6, and served on the executive committee for six years. She also served as treasurer of her Area Labor Federation.

Since its founding in 1996, Donahue has served on the Monroe County Education Coalition Steering Committee. The coalition, which she helped establish, includes superintendents, school board members, business officials, PTA, NEA-NY and NYSUT representatives working to provide the best education possible for students in public schools.

Serving as an elected union officer for so much of her career, Donahue always continued her work in the classroom. She taught for 12 years at the elementary level and 18 years at the middle level in social studies and interdisciplinary English/social studies. She also taught for five years as an adjunct professor at the State University of New York at Brockport.

Outside the classroom, Donahue launched the Democracy in Education Program in Poland, accompanying a NYSUT delegation to Poland twice to work with members of the Solidarity union in the fledgling democracy.

Her international labor work also has taken her to Israel and the former Soviet Union.