Lisa Thomas Email Address

Associate Director

The Southwest Suburban Federation of Teachers, AFT Local 943 is an affiliate of the American Federation of Teachers, the Illinois Federation of Teachers, the Illinois AFL-CIO, and the Chicago Federation of Labor. Chartered in 1946, AFT Local 943 has been serving our members and participating in the Labor Movement for almost 60 years. Local 943 is the sixth largest local in the IFT and one of the fifty largest locals in the AFT.

Senior education policy analyst with direct experience with strategic planning, asset mapping, comprehensive school reform, providing technical assistance, community and stakeholder engagement, and designing and implementing professional development programs. Two decades of dedicated driving change in education – with special emphasis on designing professional development programs for school personnel serving at-risk students. Through a variety of leadership roles, I have continued to build stakeholder relationships,public understanding of school discipline policies and practice,special education programing, and educator development, translating legislation and policy into action. Heavy experience creating partnerships at the national, state, district, school-based administration, and classroom teacher levels; and serving as a thought leader. Specialties: Educational instructional design, union negotiation, school discipline policies & practices, grant portfolio management