Ferrer Given 3rd Term As Head of MEA

Ferrer Given 3rd Term As Head of MEA

By MEREDITH KOLODNER

Incumbent Stephen M. Ferrer has defeated Arthur Pirozzi for president of the Managerial Employees Association by a vote of 404 to 229.

STEPHEN M. FERRER: Turns back challenge. Mr. Ferrer's slate won five of the six contested positions on the executive board. Independent candidate Joel Fishelson gained a spot as director-at-large. No one on Mr. Pirozzi's executive board slate, including two incumbents, won a position. A little more than one-third of the 1,829 ballots mailed out were returned, giving Mr. Ferrer about 64 percent of the vote.

'Ready to Listen'

The two-term incumbent thanked the membership for what he saw as a vote of confidence. "I feel it's a mandate to continue," he said, "but I still want to listen to any ideas other people have."

The newly elected executive board members will begin their two-year terms on Jan. 1, 2008.

Mr. Ferrer said that the campaign made it clear to him that salaries and benefits were primary concerns for the membership. "All elections help energize the organization with new ideas and perspectives," he said. "I hope all candidates continue to work together to help grow the MEA's membership, benefits and influence."

Mr. Fishelson, who is retired and currently the chair of the MEA's Organization Committee, will serve on the executive board for the first time. "I was pleased that the membership felt that I could be helpful in terms of serving them," he said. "At this point the election is over, and it's time to pull together and address the issues."

Mr. Pirozzi said that he appreciated the votes his team received. "You can be assured we are committed to working with President Stephen Ferrer and his new board to do everything possible for all the members of the Managerial Employees Association," he commented. "I wish the new board a very successful term."

The leadership is hoping to attract more of the 8,000 active city managers spread throughout city agencies to join the MEA. The group acts as an advocacy organization and meets regularly with city officials to discuss working conditions, wages and benefits, but since the members are managers, they cannot form a union and lack formal collective-bargaining rights.

Willie Maye Jr. unseated incumbent executive vice president James Durrah by a vote of 365 to 265. Victoria Pitchford topped Jeffrey Talan by 389 to 235 to replace the retiring Warren Lewis as treasurer. The recreated recording secretary position will be filled by Joseph Ramaglia, who defeated Edward M. Yood by 405 to 225.

The two directors-at-large will be incumbent Darrell L. Sims, who received 292 votes and Mr. Fishelson, who got 278 votes. They bested Ferrer-slate member Eric Ambrose, who got 249 votes, and Pirozzi-slate members Iris N. Rodriguez-Rosa and incumbent Jessie J. Woodbury, who got 197 and 151 votes respectively.