Eva Bermúdez Zimmerman

Eva is the CCFCT Coalition Co-Chair. She is the daughter of educators, who insisted she sign up as the youngest plaintiff in the landmark school desegregation case, Sheff v. O'Neill. The Connecticut Supreme Court ruled: “the state had an affirmative obligation to provide equal educational opportunities to every student.” Eva remembers underfunded classrooms and her bilingual program being cut, while losing friends to gang and drug violence that plagued Hartford during her youth. The court case framed what would become her career in organizing and activism. As a polyglot Boricua, she used her time away from Hartford doing humanitarian efforts in Brazil, participated in the student strikes in Puerto Rico, and conducted legislative research for Congressman Rangel’s office in Capitol Hill. Eva found a home for her activism with the Service Employees International Union (SEIU) and serves as the CSEA SEIU Local 2001 Childcare & Organizing Director. She fights for affordable childcare, wider access to healthcare, and improving the lives of working people. The former Newtown Councilwoman was awarded Latina of the year by LPRAC of the Connecticut State Legislature for her role as an Assister in Connecticut Access Health Exchange, which enrolled over 15,000 people in the Affordable Care Act. Eva continues to serve on the board of ACLU Connecticut, Connecticut Early Childhood Cabinet, OEC External Stakeholder, Paid Family Medical Leave Board, and Political CT.