Highlights From The AFT Washington 2025 Convention
By Cortney Marabetta, Communications Specialist
In May, AFT Washington members came together to do the important work of passing resolutions, considering amendments, electing officers, and also the rejuvenating work of spending time in community. This was our first fully in-person convention since 2019, and fittingly, we returned to the site of the 2019 convention, the Hotel Murano in Tacoma. The joy and power of unionism was on full display!
Our keynote speaker was AFT President Randi Weingarten, who made time in her very busy schedule to address the convention on the issues facing us as a union and as a country, with this administration’s assault on education from Head Start to post-high-school and its assaults on our rights. She spoke compellingly about the challenges we face, as well as the path we must forge for a stronger, better country that invites us all to thrive.
Delegates passed five resolutions on topics ranging from using our economic power wisely to ending contingency to securing retirement. Delegates also passed a resolution honoring the late Frank Chopp, long-time Speaker of the House in Washington State, and a fierce advocate for economic, racial, and social justice.
While making bylaws and standing rules updates big and small, delegates continued the effort to make our per capita system more fair and sustainable. Additionally, the AFT Washington Executive Board honored eight immigrant rights organizations with the Cesar Chavez Human Rights Award, and also awarded one Treasurer’s Award, two Good Trouble awards, three Organizing Awards, and two Leadership In Collective Bargaining Awards.
The 2025 AFT Washington Executive Board Award recipients are:
Cesar Chavez Human Rights Award
- Northwest Immigrant Rights Project
- Aid Northwest
- Tsuru for Solidarity
- La Resistencia
- Washington Immigration Solidarity Network
- Casa Latina
- One America
- Community to Community
Treasurer’s Award
- Carla Powell, United Classified Workers Union, Local 4795
Good Trouble Award
- Chuck Mueller, Edmonds College Federation of Teachers, Local 4254
- Renee Potter, AFT Washington Retiree Chapter Local 8045R
Organizing Award
- Jim Howe, AFT Washington Retiree Chapter, Local 8045R
- Melissa Roach, Tacoma Federation of Education Support Professionals, Local 461
- Marla Simpson, AFT Everett Higher Ed, Local 1873
Leadership In Collective Bargaining Award
- Rachel Dorn, AFT Yakima, Local 1485
- DawnMoon Jaques, Edmonds College Federation of Teachers, Local 4254
And finally, the new officers were elected and sworn in. We had a strong turnout for nominations from the floor as well as a suite of candidates nominated prior to the start of convention. The new term begins on July 16th, and the new roster is:
- President: Jacqui Cain, Pierce College Federation of Teachers, Local 4821
- Secretary: Eric Hamako, Shoreline Community College, Local 1950
- Treasurer: Tomas Ramos Macias, Tacoma Community College, Local 2196
- At-Large VP: Jim Drinkwine, Whatcom Community College, Local 3591
- At-Large VP: Steve Horn, Everett Community College, Local 1873
- At-Large VP: Nina Benedetti, Everett Community College, Local 1873
- VP for Community and Technical Colleges: Dave Norberg, Green River College, Local 2195
- VP for Contingent Faculty Issues: Timothy Mackie, Cascadia Community College Federation of Teachers, Local 6191
- VP for C.O.P.E.: Mark Gorecki, Centralia College, Local 4469
- VP for Four-Year Colleges and Universities: Bill Lyne, United Faculty of Western, Local 2084
- VP for Higher Education Classified: Florena Gouacide, Lake Washington Institute of Technology, Local 4787
- VP for Human Rights: Valerie F. Hunt (dr. beloved), AFT Seattle, Local 1789
- VP for Legal Defense: Scott Haddock, Edmonds College Federation of Teachers, Local 4254
- VP for Legislative Affairs: Jaeney Hoene, Green River College, Local 2195
- VP for Paraprofessional Classified Personnel: Laura Robyn, Tacoma Public Schools, Local 461
- VP for School Related Personnel: Melissa Roach, Tacoma Public Schools, Local 461
It was a great opportunity to come together and set our work for the next two years!
Thank You, Outgoing Board Members!
By Karen Strickland, AFT Washington President
AFT Washington delegates at the 2025 convention elected our Executive Board for the next two years; they will take office on July 16th. As we welcome our new (and in some cases experienced but in new roles) leadership, three of our board members have stepped down. I want to acknowledge the service of Diane Hollstrom, Tacoma Federation of Education Support Professionals, Local 461; Travis Margoni, AFT Yakima, Local 1485; and Kip Zwolenski, Skagit Valley College Federation of Teachers, Local 4985, for their contributions and their leadership of our union.
Travis was appointed to our board in October of 2020 as the VP for COPE – the Committee on Political Education. During his term, Travis has been unwavering in his commitment to ensuring that the values of our membership are upheld by the candidates we endorse. He consistently posed the questions that allowed us to set the stage for accountability of our elected officials while creating a meeting space where our members were able to express their views and raise concerns freely. Travis will be missed on our board and COPE, but we look forward to his active membership at his local.
Diane Hollstrom was a long-time member of our School-Related Personnel (SRP) Council before joining our Board as the VP for SRP in 2021. During her time on our board, Diane was one of just two members representing our school-related personnel locals and she always remembered that, bringing the voices of this constituency into our discussions. She also served on the Personnel Committee and participated in numerous hiring committees as well as on the bargaining team when in negotiations with our staff union. Diane has been a consistent voice for our members who work in the PreK-12 system.
Kip Zwolenski joined our board in 2023 as Co-VP for the Community and Technical College Council, while also serving as his local’s president. He has taken an active role in building the Council as a space fostering mutual support and building on one another’s knowledge and strength. He has also served on our Legislative Affairs Committee, tracking what is happening during the legislative session and offering valuable insight as we develop our legislative agenda. Recently Kip was invited by AFT’s Executive Vice President Evelyn DeJesus to attend a Hispanic Serving Institution conference representing Skagit Valley College and he continues the work to develop the college’s HSI program.