and local strategies committees. After his election as AFT president, McElroy served on the AFL-CIO's Executive Committee as well. In 2004, AFT president Sandra Feldman, suffering from a recurrence of breast cancer, resigned. McElroy was elected president at the union's biennial convention that July. McElroy was widely seen as a transitional president. He focused his tenure as AFT president on broad trade union issues, building the union's influence within the AFL-CIO, strengthening the AFT's state federations and middle- and small-size locals. Retirement McElroy announced on February 12, 2008, that he would retire at the AFT's regularly schedule biennial convention in Chicago, Illinois, in July 2008. He was succeeded by New York City United Federation of Teachers President Randi Weingarten on July 14, 2008. Memberships McElroy was a member of the board of the Albert Shanker Institute, and chair of the Department for Professional Employees, AFL-CIO (a coalition of 25 national unions representing 4 million professional, technical and administrative professionals). He served on the boards of the Amalgamated Bank of Chicago, Working America (an affiliate of the AFL-CIO) and the National Labor College (formerly the George Meany Center for Labor Studies),the National Endowment for Democracy, and Education International headquartered in Brussels. McElroy served as a member of the Debt Reduction Task Force at the Bipartisan Policy Center. He was inducted into the Rhode Island Heritage Hall of Fame, and the LaSalle Academy Hall of Fame. Family McElroy, a Roman Catholic, resides in Washington, D.C. He is married to Edwina B. (Ricci) McElroy; they have four children. References Sources "AFT President Edward J. McElroy" American Federation of Teachers. Greenhouse, Steven. "Teachers' Union President to Step Down; New Yorker Is Seen as Successor." New York Times. February 13, 2008. Who's Who in America. 59th ed. New Providence, N.J.: Marquis Who's Who, 2004. External links American Federation of Teachers National Labor College Rhode Island AFL-CIO Rhode Island Federation of Teachers and Health Professionals Working America 1941 births American trade union leaders People from Providence, Rhode Island People from Washington, D.C. Providence College alumni National Labor College people AFL–CIO people Living people Presidents of the American Federation of Teachers Schoolteachers from Rhode Island