Albuquerque – American Federation of Teachers New Mexico President Whitney Holland and Executive Vice President Kathy Chavez released the following statements after their re-election at the 60th AFT NM Convention:

“It is a great honor to be re-elected unanimously by delegates from across New Mexico at our union’s convention. This vote reflected the hard work our union is making to ensure every educator or healthcare worker we represent is seen, heard, and valued in this union. We are working to build a more inclusive union that has space at the table for both our well-established locals and our newer, growing locals, leaving no one behind. In my second term, I will continue to grow our union’s efforts to increase transparency, grow diverse union leaders across New Mexico, and provide a union for any educator or healthcare worker who wants one. I am grateful in the trust placed in my stewardship and will continue to be the best leader I can be for AFT New Mexico,” said Holland.

“I appreciate the continued support of this union’s members in my re-election as Executive Vice President. In my 30+ years of service to our movement, I have continually worked to elevate classified educators, and I am excited to continue to be a voice for their issues and needs in our union and in our schools. I am humbled by the continued trust placed in me and I will continue to advocate to the best of my ability over the next two years of my term,” said Chavez.

In addition to Holland and Chavez, convention delegates also elected executive officers Nicole Keeney (Socorro) as Secretary, and Darren Griego as Treasurer (Peñasco). Additionally, elections for AFT NM Constituency Vice Presidents included Secilli Keeler (Los Alamos) as VP for Early Learning, Flo Lopez (Albuquerque) as VP for PSRP/Classified, Rachael Sonia (Albuquerque) as VP for K12 Certified, Satya Witt (UNM) as VP for Higher Education, and Trey Pereyra (Los Alamos) as VP for Political/Legislative. Each officer elected will serve a term of two years, through 2025.