C IO ▁executive ▁council ▁and ▁appointed ▁to ▁the ▁executive ▁council ' s ▁executive ▁committee . ▁During ▁her ▁ten ure ▁at ▁the ▁head ▁of ▁the ▁A FT , ▁Feld man ▁also ▁served ▁as ▁a ▁vice ▁president ▁of ▁Education ▁International ▁and ▁was ▁a ▁board ▁member ▁of ▁the ▁International ▁Res cue ▁Committee ▁and ▁Fre edom ▁House ▁as ▁well ▁as ▁numerous ▁other ▁char ities ▁and ▁found ations . ▁ ▁Feld man ▁faced ▁a ▁number ▁of ▁significant ▁challeng es ▁in ▁her ▁first ▁two ▁years ▁in ▁office . ▁The ▁first ▁was ▁to ▁over see ▁a ▁vote ▁concerning ▁a ▁proposed ▁mer ger ▁with ▁the ▁National ▁Education ▁Association ▁( NE A ). ▁ ▁Mer ger ▁had ▁been ▁proposed ▁at ▁various ▁times ▁since ▁the ▁ 1 9 6 0 s ▁but ▁had ▁gained ▁ground ▁in ▁ 1 9 9 5 . ▁A ▁" no - raid " ▁p act ▁was ▁signed ▁by ▁the ▁two ▁un ions ▁in ▁which ▁they ▁p led ged ▁to ▁not ▁ra id ▁one ▁another ' s ▁loc als ▁in ▁an ▁effort ▁to ▁cool ▁off ▁dec ades ▁of ▁bad ▁blood . ▁Term s ▁of ▁the ▁mer ger ▁were ▁agreed ▁to ▁and ▁approved ▁by ▁the ▁A FT ▁executive ▁council ▁in ▁February ▁ 1 9 9 8 . ▁But ▁NE A ▁deleg ates ▁rejected ▁the ▁p act ▁the ▁following ▁July , ▁a ▁majority ▁of ▁deleg ates ▁voting ▁in ▁favor ▁of ▁the ▁agreement ▁but ▁not ▁by ▁the ▁required ▁two - third s ▁majority ▁needed ▁to ▁appro ve ▁mer ger . ▁ ▁Despite ▁the ▁collapse ▁of ▁the ▁mer ger , ▁Feld man ▁continued