Evan Eslinger began his experience with union activism as an NEA member in the suburban Kansas City area, where he spent eight years as a teacher, coach, and local association president. In 2005, he began union staff work as an Organizational Consultant and organizer with the Arizona Education Association. He then accepted a position with Education Minnesota in 2007, serving as an organizer and organization development specialist throughout the state. He began working for the NEA and became an AFSE member in 2010, eventually serving several leadership roles in AFSE and being elected AFSE president in 2019. He now lives back in suburban Kansas City, where he takes his union activism with a side of barbecue and live blues music.
Michele O’Neill began her journey in union organizing as an NEA member and local association president in Connecticut, where she also served on the CEA Board of Directors. She moved into staff work at CEA in 2007—first as a UniServ Director, then as an Educational Issues Specialist and Aspiring Educator organizer—before coming to NEA as an organizational specialist in 2022, where she currently works with the Aspiring Educators Program. Michele served as an AFSE steward for three years before being elected to the AFSE vice presidency in 2025. She is a passionate advocate for workers’ rights, a dedicated runner, and the proud mother of a college football player who is also an NEA Aspiring Educator member.
Amy Simpson spent the first 14 years of her professional career as a citizen advocate and campus organizer for state Public Interest Research Groups (PIRGs). She worked for consumer and environmental protection, and good government issues (e.g. campaign finance reform) on the state and federal levels in Colorado, Massachusetts, and Ohio. In 2003, she moved to Las Cruces, NM to begin my second career as a high school English and film teacher. She taught English and Film Studies at the high school and college level for the next 12 years. She co-organized the first successful union drive in Charter School in NM. After experiencing attacks on public education in New Mexico, she became a local leader in efforts to fight the devastating policies and (de)forms forced upon students, teachers, and public education. She has been an AFSE member working with the Center for Organizing since 2015.
John "Jonas" Barriere has dedicated his life to organizing since the age of 18, engaging deeply in political, community, and union initiatives. A proud member of AFSE, he has held various roles including steward, bargaining team member, and representative to the pension board, demonstrating his commitment to worker rights and justice. Currently, Jonas works on the Zone 1 team, where he plays a crucial role in supporting union organizing efforts across Maine, New York, New Jersey, Maryland, and Virginia, striving to empower workers and strengthen communities through collective action.
