LEGISLATIVE RESOLUTION honoring Veronica Montgomery-Costa upon the occa-
sion of her retirement after 34 years of distinguished service to the
Department of Education Employees Local 372

WHEREAS, It is the custom of this Legislative Body to acknowledge those
individuals whose professional lives and civic endeavors serve to
enhance the stature of the State of New York; and
WHEREAS, This Legislative Body is justly proud to honor Veronica Mont-
gomery-Costa upon the occasion of her retirement after 34 years of
distinguished service to the Department of Education Employees Local
372, to be celebrated on Friday, April 8, 2011, at Marina Del Ray, the
Bronx, New York; and
WHEREAS, A Harlem native and 34-year veteran of the Department of
Education Employees Local 372, Veronica Montgomery-Costa first began
organizing workers in 1974, when she helped bring her Substance Abuse
Prevention and Intervention Specialists (SAPIS) co-workers into the
local; and
WHEREAS, Furthermore, Veronica Montgomery-Costa was instrumental in
organizing Local 372's School Crossing Guards and Community Coordina-
tors; recognizing her extraordinary leadership skills, District Council
37's national union, the American Federation of State, County and Munic-
ipal Employees, selected her to help organize public hospital workers in
Fort Wayne, Indiana; and
WHEREAS, Veronica Montgomery-Costa proudly served Local 372 as a
grievance representative, chapter chair and Executive Board member from
1977 until 1982, when she became a District Council 37 representative,
working with all job titles in the local; and
WHEREAS, Veronica Montgomery-Costa served her District Council 37
co-workers as vice president of the Federation of Field Representatives,
a staff union, from 1982 to 1986; she then became assistant director of
the Schools Division and began negotiating with top management at the
Department of Education; and
WHEREAS, Since 1999, Veronica Montgomery-Costa has headed Local 372,
which represents 26,000 public school employees, including school aides,
school lunch workers, family paraprofessionals, community coordinators
and SAPIS, as well as school crossing guards from the Police Department;
she began her fourth term as president of Local 372 when she was re-e-
lected in 2009; and
WHEREAS, Veronica Montgomery-Costa, a woman of singular distinction,
whose wisdom, guidance and unparalleled professionalism, have earned her
the admiration, esteem, and affection of her colleagues and all those
she has come in to contact with her during her distinguished service to
District Council 37 and the Department of Education Employees Local 372;
and
WHEREAS, During her tenure with both District Council 37 and the
Department of Education Employees Local 372, Veronica Montgomery-Costa
earned the admiration, esteem and affection of her colleagues; now,
therefore, be it
RESOLVED, That this Legislative Body pause in its deliberations to
honor Veronica Montgomery-Costa upon the occasion of her retirement
after 34 years of distinguished service to the Department of Education
Employees Local 372; and be it further
RESOLVED, That a copy of this Resolution, suitably engrossed, be tran-
smitted to Veronica Montgomery-Costa.