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The Executive Committee

The objectives of the Grace Carroll Rocky Mountain Labor School is to operate and promote schools,

institutes, and other educational activities for the purpose of providing training for officers and leaders of local unions,

city central bodies, state central bodies and representatives of national and international unions within

the territorial limits of the sponsoring state central bodies.

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Fred Yamashita

Executive Director

Arizona AFL-CIO

fyamashita@azaflcio.org

Fred Yamashita, a native of Detroit, Michigan, accepted his position at the AZ AFL-CIO in November of 2017. 

Prior to that Fred spent 20 years working for the United Food and Commercial Workers Local 99, before which

he spent 20 years as a worker on the floor in the grocery industry.

Fred served as Chair of the Pima Area Labor Federation from 2015 until moving back to Phoenix to accept the position as Executive Director. He has five children and one grandchild.

Dennis Dougherty

Executive Director

Colorado AFL-CIO

ddaughtery@coaflcio.org

Dennis Dougherty has been a Commissioner with the Federal Mediation & Conciliation Service (FMCS) since 2007. As a federal mediator covering Colorado and Wyoming, Dennis mediated labor disputes, including collective bargaining negotiations and grievances, for the private, public, non-profit and federal sectors. Dennis also was the past president of the Rocky Mountain Labor and Employment Relations Association LERA, and still serves on the board.  In addition, Dennis is the past Treasurer of the Global Education Fund. 

 

Prior to his appointment with FMCS, Dennis completed his Masters in Public Policy with a concentration in negotiation analysis and conflict resolution at Harvard’s John F. Kennedy School of Government.  While at the Kennedy School, Dougherty served as the Co-Director of the Office of Public Service.

 

Dennis began his career as an elementary school teacher in the Atlanta Public Schools.

Joe Maloney

President

Idaho AFL-CIO

joe@idahoafl-cio.org

208-731-4932

Joe Maloney is the President of the Idaho AFL-CIO, before he became president he served as an Executive Board member representing the Magic Valley area.

Joe has been has been a member of IBEW 449 since 2009.

Joe made a promise to his grandfather many years ago promising to join a union so, after he received his Journeyman License through the College of Southern Idaho he joined IBEW 449. Joe enthusiastically participated in his union and his Central Labor Council from day one. From 2012-2017 Joe dedicated his career to his local and became and full time organizer for them.

 

Joe has served as a Executive Board Member for the Filer Parks and Recreation and has also been a Comet Instructor for his local.

Joe has been married to his wife Callie for 17 years, they have twin sons, Kynan and Kayle who are 12.

James Holbrook

Executive Secretary

Montana AFL-CIO

James Holbrook was born and raised in Billings, Montana. James worked for 18 years as a Montana Combination Station/Central Office Technician with US West, Qwest and

CenturyLink where he served as chief steward, representative, and treasurer for IBEW local 206 before being elected business manager in 2014.

He has served as secretary treasurer for the Montana State Conference of Electrical Workers, a board member for the Big Sky CLC and board member for the Montana AFL-CIO.

A US Army veteran and father of four, James currently lives in Helena, Montana with his wife of 24 years.

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Suzie Martinez       Executive Secretary Treasurer

Nevada AFL-CIO

Susie Martinez is a native Nevadan — born and raised in Las Vegas. In 1959, Susie’s parents moved to Las Vegas to build a better life for their four daughters. Susie and her sisters were raised to always care for their neighbors, and to take every opportunity to give back to the community that had given so much to them.

In adulthood, Susie set to work in the hospitality industry and, just as she was raised, joined Teamsters Local 986 to join the fight to better working conditions for her coworkers. Through her union job, Susie provided an excellent life for her daughter, Victoria, who she raised as a single mother. During her 30-plus years in the hospitality industry and the labor movement, Susie steadfastly advocated for her co-workers through grievance and contract negotiations to fight for stronger wages, better benefits, and safer working conditions.

Fighting for her labor brothers and sisters is what inspired Susie to run for office as the Assemblywoman for District 12, taking office in 2018. After serving her community in that position— and passing numerous pieces of legislation to better the lives of working families across Nevada — she decided to again focus her attention on the labor movement and threw her hat in the ring to become the Executive Secretary Treasurer of the Nevada State AFL-CIO. In August 2021, Susie made history as the first woman and first Latina to be elected to lead the state federation.

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Vince Alvarado     

President

New Mexico AFL-CIO

Vince Alvarado is the Financial Secretary Treasurer and the Business Manager for SMART Local 49. He has been involved with the labor movement for over forty years. Promoting a better living and quality of life for all! 

SMART is the International Association of Sheet Metal, Air, Rail and Transportation Workers. We are on the North America’s most dynamic and diverse unions with 216,000 members. Our members ensure the quality of the air we breathe, promote energy efficiency, produce, and provide the vital services that move products to market and passengers to their destinations. We are sheet metal workers, service technicians, bus operators, engineers, conductors, sign workers, welders, production employees, and many more. With members in scores of different occupations, we advocate for fairness in the workplace, excellence at work and opportunity for all working families.

Jeff Worthington

President

Utah AFL-CIO

jeff@utahaflcio.org

801-557-4715

On January 1, 2018 Jeff  was sworn in as  President of the UTAH AFL-CIO where he will continue to work with the Utah State Legislature, City and County municipalities, by reaching across the isles to ensure that the rights of Utah Working Families are heard.

 

For 39 years Jeff Worthington worked as a Locomotive Engineer for the Union Pacific Railroad. He was also an Operation Lifesaver Presenter and sat on numerous Safety Committees. Jeff spent his entire railroad career Representing Locomotive Engineers as a Legislative Representative and then as the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers Utah State Legislative Board Chairman. As Chairman of the Utah State Legislative Board, Jeff also sat on the National Association of State Legislative Board Chairmen (NASLBC), headquartered in Washington D.C. Jeff worked diligently and was very passionate and determined to represent the rights of the working men and women that he represented...

 

Jeff sits on the following boards:

Governor’s appointee to the 150th Anniversary, Golden Spike Commission

UOSHA  Advisory Board (Utah Occupational Safety and Health)

Utah State Workforce Development Board 

Workforce Services

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Tammy Johnson     Executive Secretary

Wyoming AFL-CIO

Tammy Johnson joined Wyoming State AFL-CIO in October 2019. 

Her prior work includes teaching high school English, the Wyoming Department of Education, and Wyoming Education Association Government Relations Director and Chief Lobbyist.  Tammy graduated from Washington State University with a degree in English literature, and recently graduated from the University of Wyoming with a juris doctorate. 

Tammy has been a long-time union member as a cannery worker in Alaska and as a teacher.  She was local union president and involved in many committees and chairmanships at WEA.  She is an advocate for working families, women, and those in need. Tammy lives in Laramie, has three amazing daughters, and enjoys keeping score for the Wyoming Cowgirl basketball team. 

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