Then, in the late Spring of 1995, Kirkland made it known that he had changed his mind and would resign from office. In August 1995, Donahue was elected president by a two-to-one margin over Sweeney in a vote by the AFL-CIO's governing body, its Executive Council. Prior to the vote, Donahue had asked Barbara Easterling, Secretary-Treasurer of the Communications Workers of America, to join his ticket as candidate for the Secretary-Treasurer position. Easterling agreed, and was duly elected as the first female officer in either of the labor federation's two senior positions.