MNEA leaders take on Democratic leadership roles

At Missouri’s Democratic Convention April 17 in Columbia, delegates elected Missouri NEA Government Relations Director Leila Medley to serve a four-year term as Democratic National Committeewoman.

Among her duties, she will plan the Democratic Party’s quadrennial presidential nominating convention; promote election of Democrat candidates with technical and financial support; and work with national, state and local Democrat organizations, elected officials, candidates and constituencies to respond to the needs and views of the Democratic electorate and the nation.

Medley has worked in the public education field for 43 years and has always been a union member. After working as a classroom teacher for 21 years, she worked six years as an MNEA UniServ director. For the last 16 years, she has worked for MNEA as a political organizer. She is a former committee woman and secretary for the 7th Congressional District, a state committee member and delegate to the Democratic National Convention.

Delegates also elected MNEA President Greg Jung to serve as an at-large delegate alternate for John Kerry (Congressional District 3) to the Democratic National Convention in Boston, July 26-29, and MNEA Executive Director Peggy T. Cochran to serve as an electorate.

Other MNEA members elected as delegates to the convention are:

Burton Boxerman, MNEA-Retired (C.D. 1); Marty Ott , MNEA-R (C.D. 2); Beverly Buchheit, MNEA-R (C.D. 3); Carl Calcara, Park Hill (C.D. 5); Donna Cushman, MNEA-R (C.D. 6); Sandra Vaught, MNEA-R (C.D. 7); and Brenda Woemmel, Cape Girardeau (C.D. 8).

Other MNEA members whom delegates elected to serve as electors are Jim Giokaris, Lee’s Summit, and Joe Koester, St. Charles.