Wendy G. Coleman

Wendy G. Coleman is the first Black president elected to lead AFT Pennsylvania’s 36,000 members across 76 locals statewide. Coleman has also served as general vice president of the Philadelphia Federation of Teachers, Local 3, since 2024, is a vice president for the Philadelphia AFL-CIO and is an AFT vice president for the Pennsylvania AFL-CIO. In addition to serving as a vice president on the AFT executive council, Coleman is also co-chair of the AFT’s Women’s Rights Committee.

Coleman grew up attending Philadelphia public schools and in a family of PFT members. She graduated from Temple University with a degree in elementary and childhood education, earned a master’s as a reading specialist from Gwynedd Mercy College, earned a master’s in education from Cabrini College, and earned her ELL certificate from Penn State University. Coleman first joined the PFT and AFTPA in 2003 when she began her career as an educator in the School District of Philadelphia, teaching elementary and English language learner students and serving as a consulting teacher, helping train and mentor new teachers. A proud unionist, Coleman has served on the AFTPA executive council since 2009, including as the immediate past secretary, on the staff of the PFT since 2013, and on the leadership team of the PFT since 2016. 

In her spare time, Coleman is a passionate Philadelphia sports fan and an enthusiastic supporter of her beloved Philadelphia Eagles. Go Birds!