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Newly elected United Teachers of Dade President, Antonio “Tony” White, was sworn-in Thursday, alongside Secretary/Treasurer Mindy Grimes-Festge, First Vice President Dannielle Boyer, Executive Board members, and more than three hundred worksite Stewards at the Miami Dade College Hialeah campus. State Senator Shevrin Jones administered the Oath of Office.
In attendance were AFT President Randi Weingarten, Former UTD President and current AFT Secretary/Treasurer Fedrick Ingram, FEA President Andrew Spar, Past UTD President Karen Aronowitz, State Representative Wallace Aristide, and Miami Gardens Mayor Rodney Harris. Tony White has served as First Vice President for the past nine years and is succeeding Karla Hernandez-Mats after his landslide victory earlier this year. A Career Technology Education instructor at Jose Marti 6-12 MAST Academy, Mr. White has been at the forefront of hard-fought victories for Miami-Dade public school educators and staff over the past twenty years as a Building Steward, Executive Board member and First Vice President. Tony White, an athletic standout at American Senior High, is a product of Miami-Dade County Public Schools. Tony graduated from Grambling State University, where he played on the legendary Tigers football team. After serving honorably in the United States Air Force, Tony returned home to Miami to begin his teaching career.
Continuing in her role as Secretary/Treasurer is Mindy Grimes-Festge who was re-elected without opposition. Mindy has served in her current position for the last 9 years and was an Executive Board member and Steward prior to being elected in 2016. The newest member of the UTD Leadership Team is Dannielle Boyer, a teacher at Miami Northwestern High School. She is no stranger to advocacy and leadership. Dannielle was the 2022-2023 UTD Activist of the Year and has proudly served as a school Steward since 2003. Her leadership has garnered national recognition, with her efforts in education reform highlighted in American Teacher-AFT Magazine and Politico.com. Boyer aided over 700 members in achieving $110,000,000 in student loan forgiveness.
Experience. Commitment. Resilience.
For the past nine years Tony White, Mindy Grimes-Festge and their team have raised average teacher pay to $75,000. They did so in part by passing two county-wide referendums that added nearly $18,000 in pay per teacher, a whopping 31% increase. Teachers and staff have had a 0% increase in healthcare premiums. They helped over 700 members eliminate over $110 million in student loan forgiveness, and they recently won a re-certification vote with 83% against an anti-union front group. That is a remarkable record and thus it’s no surprise that Tony White, Mindy Grimes-Festge, and Dannielle Boyer won their election for a three-year term with over 80% support of their membership.
