Executive Board Officers

Rachel Gittleman, President

Even before her office was RIFed, Rachel helped probationary employees navigate their illegal firings, secure legal representation, and fight back, ultimately leading to their reinstatement. After her office was RIFed, Rachel led the fight against the dismantling of our agency, built bridges across POCs to organize against it, and developed a community of ED employees for mutual aid and problem solving. In her capacity as a leader in the ED community, she has led biweekly calls for all ED employees to brief them on legal updates and convene colleagues to help answer pressing questions. Without Rachel’s work to connect disparate POCs and collect powerful declarations and evidence, lawsuits by external partners like the state attorneys general and NEA would not have happened. She’s leading an effective media strategy with mainstream newspaper and tv news outlets, and empowering other ED staff to take on more responsibility in our organizing efforts. 

Rachel’s experience at FSA and before has established her as a reliable advocate:

• At FSA, she handled complex borrower casework, equipping her to advocate for members facing difficult workplace challenges.
• She has filed grievances and EEO complaints on her own behalf—she knows the system and how to win. And she knows how to ask for help when she needs it.
• As liaison to state regulators and in her prior roles as a consumer and civil rights advocate, she built relationships that will strengthen our political  position, and experience talking to state agencies’ leadership across the country.

Jessica Cook, Executive Vice President

Jessica is currently serving as an Attorney in the Office for Civil Rights (OCR) Denver Enforcement Office.  Prior to that, Jessica worked for five years in OCR’s Program Legal Group on the Title IX Team with a particular focus on the Methods of Administration Program. 

Coming from strong union family of teachers and coal miners, Jessica is passionate about workers’ rights.  One of the foundational experiences of her legal career was interning with the National Labor Relations Board while in law school.  Since joining ED in 2019, she has been actively involved with our Union in different ways, including serving as a Union Steward and an appointed member of several committees.  She is particularly interested in organizing volunteers to assist the Local with navigating litigation and grievances as we move forward in this challenging environment for federal employees.

In her spare time, she loves to read, listen to podcasts, and visit every thrift store along her path of travel.  She is also the proud momma of two toddlers, so “spare time” is rare these days.

If you have ideas about how to improve our Local and you would like to chat, please feel free to reach out to Jessica.  She would love to talk to you.

Breneé Johnson, Treasurer

It has been an honor to serve as the Secretary for AFGE 252 the past two years. Beyond my board position, I am our local’s Women’s and Fair Practices Coordinator and previously served on its elections and audit committees. 

Before the RIF, I was a Senior Institutional Review Specialist in FSA’s Office of Institutions of Higher Education Oversight and Enforcement, School Eligibility Branch. Alongside other staff in our regional offices, I was responsible for determining school eligibility, analyzing and resolving compliance audits and financial statements, and conducting program reviews of institutional Title IV compliance.

Brittany Coleman, National (Chief) Shop Steward

Brittany is an attorney for the Office of Civil Rights (OCR) in Dallas. She is originally from Central Arkansas but grew up in the Dallas area. Brittany graduated from Washington University in St. Louis with a degree in political science and earned her juris doctor degree from Cornell Law School. Before joining OCR, Brittany worked as an in-house attorney at a life insurance company and as a staff attorney and director at two healthcare accounts receivable companies. During her time in the private sector, she saw how important union representation was for protecting the rights of hardworking employees and how vulnerable employees could be without union representation. Brittany joined OCR in July 2019 and AFGE shortly thereafter. She volunteers with organizations throughout the Dallas area because she believes in helping others have a fair shot to live up to their full potential. Brittany hopes that her work with AFGE will help her fellow Department of Education employees have fair working conditions so that they can reach their full professional potential and help the department continue to carry out its mission of ensuring equal access to education for our nation’s students.

Dan Schreier, Secretary

Dan Schreier works at the Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP) where he proudly works with dozens of dedicated bargaining unit members on implementing the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act. Dan joined the Department in 2007 and has spent most of his time working at OSEP (with a short stint in the Office of Elementary and Secondary Education’s Front Office).

Prior to joining the Department, Dan was a special education director at two urban districts in Massachusetts and he began his professional career working at the Massachusetts Department of Education where he was elected Chapter President and Governing Board Member of SEIU Local 509.

Dan received his Bachelors Degree from the University of Connecticut, Masters Degree from Teachers College, Columbia University and Juris Doctor from the University of Maryland, Baltimore. He is a licensed attorney in Massachusetts. Dan currently lives in New York City.