Thursday, March 25, 2004.

The RA recognized a host of VIPs Thursday - AFT vice presidents from New York at the session included: Paul Cole, Maria Portalatin and Kristin Sterling.

Also recognized were staff union officers, including Jeff Cassidy, Thomas Slavin and John Jurgens.

Other VIPs were Elaine Sanders and Eadie Shanker, widows of NYSUT pioneers; Assemblyman Peter Abbate; Christopher Gardner and Jim Scott of Gardner Rich & Co.; Central Labor Council presidents Hobart Rhinehart and Lee Cutler; and NYSUT retirees Fred Nauman and Dan Frasca.