AFT Vice President
Judy Hale has been president of AFT-West Virginia since 1991. As a 22-year veteran of teaching, she has worked to professionalize teaching and was trained as a mentor teacher as part of a program that grew out of a 1990 education reform initiative in West Virginia.

As a teacher, she was a member of the superintendent's advisory senate, chaired the language arts textbook selection committee, represented her county in the West Virginia Teachers' Forum, and served on the governor's basic skills computer panel. As a result of the work of that panel, four computers were provided to each classroom in West Virginia. Hale also served as a member of the state department of education's policy revision and consolidation committee (Policy 2000) and the task force on preparation of educational administrators. She also served on the board of directors of Highland Hospital in Charleston and served on the governor's labor-management council.

Since becoming president of AFT-West Virginia, Hale has helped spearhead campaigns resulting in landmark legislation on inclusion, safe schools and pension reform.

Hale was first elected to the AFT executive council in 2006. She also serves on the AFT Teachers program and policy council and the AFT organizing committee, and she currently chairs the AFT member benefits committee and co-chairs the AFT advisory committee on state federations.

(August 22, 2008)