lection . ▁D ink ins ▁lost ▁in ▁a ▁tight ▁race ▁to ▁Rud y ▁Giul iani . ▁ ▁While ▁president ▁of ▁the ▁U FT , ▁Feld man ▁was ▁also ▁elected ▁vice ▁president ▁of ▁New ▁York ▁State ▁A FL - C IO ▁and ▁vice ▁president ▁of ▁the ▁New ▁York ▁State ▁United ▁Te ach ers ▁( the ▁A FT ▁state ▁affili ate ▁in ▁New ▁York ). ▁ ▁Ten ure ▁at ▁A FT ▁Feld man ▁had ▁been ▁elected ▁an ▁A FT ▁vice ▁president ▁in ▁ 1 9 7 4 , ▁serving ▁on ▁the ▁national ▁union ' s ▁executive ▁council ▁and ▁the ▁executive ▁council ' s ▁executive ▁committee . ▁She ▁was ▁also ▁chair ▁of ▁the ▁A FT ' s ▁Edu c ational ▁Iss ues ▁Program ▁and ▁Policy ▁Council , ▁a ▁constitution ally ▁mand ated ▁body ▁which ▁ad vised ▁the ▁A FT ▁executive ▁council ▁on ▁teacher ▁issues . ▁ ▁Sh ank er ▁died ▁in ▁February ▁ 1 9 9 7 ▁from ▁brain ▁and ▁lung ▁cancer . ▁The ▁A FT ▁executive ▁council ▁appointed ▁Feld man ▁president ▁in ▁May ▁of ▁that ▁year . ▁She ▁ran ▁for ▁and ▁won ▁election ▁as ▁the ▁A FT ' s ▁president ▁in ▁July ▁ 1 9 9 8 , ▁becoming ▁the ▁union ' s ▁first ▁female ▁president ▁since ▁ 1 9 3 0 . ▁ ▁At ▁the ▁U FT , ▁Feld man ' s ▁long - time ▁coun sel ▁Rand i ▁We ing arten ▁was ▁elected ▁president . ▁ ▁In ▁May ▁ 1 9 9 7 , ▁Feld man ▁was ▁elected ▁to ▁the ▁A FL -