Executive Leadership
PresidentWendy G. Coleman |
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Wendy G. Coleman is the first Black person elected to lead AFT Pennsylvania’s 36,000 members, and she has served as President since the 2025 AFTPA Biennial Convention. Wendy grew up attending Philadelphia Public Schools and in a family of Philadelphia Federation of Teachers Local 3 (PFT3) members. She graduated from Temple University with a degree in Elementary and Childhood Education, earned a master's in Reading Specialist from Gwynedd Mercy College, a master's in Education from Cabrini College, and her ELL certificate from Penn State University. Wendy first joined PFT3 and AFTPA in 2003 when she began her career as an educator in the Philadelphia Public School District, teaching elementary and English Language Learner (ELL) students and as a Consulting Teacher, helping train and mentor new teachers. A proud unionist, Wendy has served on the AFTPA Executive Council since 2009, including as the immediate past Secretary, on the staff of PFT3 since 2013, and on the leadership team of PFT3 since 2016. In addition to being the President of AFTPA, Wendy also serves as an AFT Vice President, the General Vice President of PFT3, having been elected to the position in 2024, co-chair of AFT’s Women’s Rights Committee, a Vice President for the Philadelphia AFL-CIO, and an AFT Vice President for the Pennsylvania AFL-CIO. |
Vice PresidentWilliam Hileman | TreasurerErik D. Fleming | SecretaryTrina Dean |
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Erik D. Fleming has served as Treasurer of AFT Pennsylvania since July 2025. A graduate of the School District of Philadelphia, West Chester University of PA (B.S. Elementary Education), and Temple University (M.Ed. Educational Leadership), he began his career in 1996 as an elementary teacher in the School District of Philadelphia (PFT 3). Since 2005, he has worked for PFT 3, where he is currently the Chief Information Officer and has previously served on the Executive Board as Vice President of Elementary Schools and Associate Secretary. At AFTPA, Erik chaired both the Nominations and Elections Committee (2021-2023) and the Credentials Committee (2009-2019). Erik has been an elected delegate to the biennial conventions of AFT since 2000 and AFTPA since 2007. He also currently serves on the Philadelphia Council AFL-CIO’s Civil and Human Rights Committee (Secretary) and the Tri-State Labor Day Committee. | Trina Dean has been a member of the Philadelphia Federation of Teachers # 3(PFT3) and AFTPA since 2009 and has served as Secretary of AFTPA since July 2025. She was elected to serve as a Delegate to the AFTPA in 2018 and has served on the Executive Council since 2019, most recently as a Vice President at-Large. She has been Associate Secretary on an Executive Board Officer of PFT3 for the past 5 years, serving as Associate Secretary. |
Staff
Director of Government and Political AffairsJeffrey Coyne | Director of CommunicationsCindy Carr |
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| Jeffrey J. Coyne (Jeff) serves as the Director of Government and Political Affairs at AFT Pennsylvania. With over 30 years of experience in government and political campaigns, Jeff brings a deep understanding of public policy, legislative strategy, and advocacy. Before joining AFT Pennsylvania, he served as Chief of Staff for the Indiana Democratic House Caucus in the Indiana House of Representatives. A native of Pennsylvania, Jeff has worked on five statewide campaigns across three states. Notably, in 2006, he managed the re-election campaign of Catherine Baker Knoll, Pennsylvania’s first elected female lieutenant governor. Based in Harrisburg, Jeff leads AFT Pennsylvania’s efforts to engage with the executive and legislative branches, regulatory agencies, labor and community allies, and the union’s 60+ local affiliates. His work is focused on advancing the interests of students, educators, and working families throughout the state. Jeff previously held the position of Director of Federal Relations and Grants Management at the Indiana Department of Education. There, he served as the agency’s primary liaison to federal agencies and members of Congress. He managed a team of 13 and oversaw more than $300 million in federally funded programs for local school districts and public charter schools. He also led the department’s work on Indiana’s ESEA flexibility waiver and has experience as a political consultant. Originally from Delaware County, Jeff maintains close family ties in both Southeastern and Southwestern Pennsylvania. He holds a bachelor's degree in political science from Mount Saint Mary’s University in Maryland.. | Cindy Carr serves as the Director of Communications for AFT Pennsylvania. With more than 12 years of experience in strategic and advocacy communications, Cindy has a proven track record of leading communications campaigns at the state, regional, national, and international levels. She started her career with the Sierra Club in Washington, DC where she led the organization’s work advocating for judicial nominations and international climate commitments before moving into the Senior Press Secretary position supporting the Club’s state-level work in Pennsylvania, New York, New Jersey, and Delaware. Cindy was elected as secretary of the Sierra Club's staff union, the Progressive Workers Union (PWU), for three years and is currently a member of the Young Friends of PAWS (Philadelphia Animal Welfare Society) advisory board. Cindy grew up outside of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania and earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Biology from Capital University in Columbus, Ohio. Cindy has lived in the Philadelphia area since 2021. |
Staff RepresentativeTodd Jelen | Staff RepresentativeConstance I. Lumb |
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| Todd Jelen serves as Staff Representative of AFT Pennsylvania for the western region. He is a graduate of Cleveland State University and the Cleveland Institute of Music. He has worked as Lecturer of Bassoon at West Liberty University in WV. While working as an orchestral bassoonist, Todd accrued over twenty years of experience in bargaining, member representation, and organizing. Prior to working at AFTPA, Todd served as Secretary-Treasurer of the Akron Federation of Musicians in Akron, OH, and worked as Negotiator/Organizer/Educator for the American Federation of Musicians of the US & Canada. | Constance I. Lumb is a dedicated educator and seasoned union leader with 21 years of experience championing the rights of both students and educators. As a tireless advocate for families and students with disabilities, Constance has spent her career ensuring that underserved populations receive the equitable educational opportunities they deserve. A proud former member of PFT3, AFTPA, and AFT, Constance brings a wealth of hands-on labor experience to her role. Her leadership within the union is extensive; she served as a PFT3 Building Committee Member at The Workshop School from 2019-2025 and was a key member of the AFT Contract Negotiation Team for Community Education Partners (CEP) from 2008–2009. These roles have solidified her reputation as a fierce advocate for teachers, consistently working to improve workplace conditions and protect the integrity of the profession. Constance’s career has spanned major urban districts, beginning with impactful work supporting overage and under-accredited students in Chicago, IL, and Richmond, VA. She most recently eserved her hometown of Philadelphia, PA, as a Special Education Compliance Monitor, where she bridged the gap between policy and practice to benefit students with special needs.Constance holds a Bachelor of Science in Education from Shippensburg University and a Master of Education from Arcadia University. Beyond her professional commitments, she is passionate about the arts and global exploration—passions she shares with her students to inspire them to envision and build a world without boundaries. |
Staff RepresentativeKrisann Selbst | Staff RepresentativeRichard Steger |
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| Krisann M. Selbst serves as Staff Representative for K-12 schools, including all AFTPA charter school unions, and represents both exempt and non-exempt staff. She brings extensive experience in organizational governance, contract negotiations, advocacy, membership engagement, and chapter finances, having previously held roles as President, Treasurer, Secretary, and Lead Negotiator in a local. Her background in education, corporate environments, and non-profits, along with a Bachelor of Arts degree in psychology from Gettysburg College and a graduate-level Elementary Education teacher certification program from Alvernia University, enables her to facilitate multi-faceted communication for collective bargaining and to foster collaboration with new locals while helping existing locals grow. | Rich Steger serves as a Staff Representative for AFT Pennsylvania. He is a graduate of Newburgh Free Academy, SUNY Delhi(A.A.S.), SUNY Cortland(B.S.E.), Mount Saint Mary College(M.S.E.) and Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts-North Adams(C.A.G.S.). Rich has served his local, the Valley Central Teachers’ Association, as Executive Council Representative, Vice President and President for over 25 years. He served the New York State United Teachers as Political Action Coordinator for the 39th Senate District and was a member of the Member Organizing Institute. Rich has over 25 years of collective bargaining, member representation and member organizing experience. Rich has 32 years of teaching experience across the Pre-K-12 levels. Rich spent five years as a district administrator giving him the unique perspective of sitting on both sides of the labor/management table. Rich firmly believes that our strength is in our solidarity. |
Confidential Executive Assistant to the PresidentNakia Jones-Fogle | Administrative AssistantKathy Noroski |
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| Nakia Jones-Fogle has over two decades of experience delivering high-level coordination, office management, and event logistics. Known for her precision, professionalism, and warm interpersonal style, Nakia has supported union leadership at the AFT Pennsylvania, expertly managing calendars, communications, and large-scale events. Her background includes office management, liaising with vendors, and executing complex projects with discretion and efficiency. With a foundation in Business Administration and a legacy of reliability, Nakia brings both operational mastery and creative problem-solving to every role she undertakes. | Kathy Noroski is the AFTPA Administrative Assistant in the Pittsburgh office. She worked for the Pittsburgh Federation of Teachers before moving to AFTPA in 2012. Kathy has a total of 45 years between the two federations. |