Public Employee Press

Delegates elect Henry Garrido for a three-year term as executive director

By GREGORY N. HEIRES

DC 37 Executive Director Henry Garrido will begin a three-year term in January after he was nominated without opposition to the union's top leadership position at the Delegates Council meeting on Nov. 24.

At the November meeting, delegates nominated candidates for the union's four top officer and 19 vice president positions.

Incumbents DC 37 President Eddie Rodriguez and DC 37 Treasurer Maf Misbah Uddin were re-elected.

Local 957 President Walthene Primus, Local 375 1st Vice President Michelle Keller and Local 375 Legislative Chair Migdalia Acevedo will face off in the race for secretary at the delegates meeting in January. Primus is a member of Garrido's "Members First" slate. Keller and Acevedo are running as independents.

The secretary's position opened up because the incumbent, Cliff Koppelman, is retiring. Delegates cheered Koppelman as they recognized the Korean War veteran's long service to the union.

"Working together with members, we look forward to building the union and encouraging more members to become activists," Garrido said. Last year, the DC 37 Executive Board appointed Garrido as executive director after the long-serving leader of the union, Lillian Roberts, announced that she would retire at the end of the year. Garrido assumed the position on Jan. 1.

Under the DC 37 Constitution, large locals that represent more than 5 percent of the union's total membership are entitled to a vice presidential spot on the executive board. Their delegates chose their board representatives at the nominations meeting.

Local 1549 Executive Vice President Alma Roper, Local 371 President Anthony Wells, Local 2054 President Dishunta Meredith, Local 372 President Shaun D. Francois I, and Local 420 President Carmen Charles were nominated by their delegates without opposition. Local 375 Secretary Ahmed Shakir defeated Local 375 President Claude Fort by a close vote in the local's to choose the local's vice president on the executive board.

The "Member First" slate includes incumbents Local 154 President Juan Fernandez, Local 374 President Cuthbert Dickenson, Local 384 President Esther (Sandy) Tucker, Local 508 President Peter Stein, Local 983 President Joseph Puleo, Local 1113 President Deborah Pitts, Local 1320 President Jim Tucciarelli, Local 1359 President Dennis Ifill, Local 1455 President Michael DeMarco, Local 1482 President Eileen Muller, Local 1505 President Dilcy Benn, Local 1597 President Eric Latson, Local 1655 President Jonathan Gray, Local 2507 President Israel Miranda and Local 2627 President Robert Ajaye.

The "Members First Slate" team also includes three candidates who are not incumbents: Local 376 President Gene DeMartino, Local 924 President Kyle Simmons, and Local 1930 President Valentin Colon.

Executive Board member Jackie Rowe-Adams, who is the president of Local 299, and Local 1087 President Manuel A. Roman Jr. are running as independents.

DC 37 Election Committee Chair Debbie Lane from Local 384, with the help of committee members Local 420 1st Vice President Isabel Figueroa and Local 957 member Donna Seale-Harrison, oversaw the nominations proceedings.