Everett B. Kelley is an American labor union leader. Born in

Goodwater, Alabama Goodwater is a town in Coosa County, Alabama, United States. At the 2020 census, the population was 1,291. It is part of the Talladega-Sylacauga Micropolitan Statistical Area. Geography Goodwater is located near the northeast corner of Coosa ...

, Kelley was educated at Sylacauga High School, then joined the

United States Army The United States Army (USA) is the primary Land warfare, land service branch of the United States Department of Defense. It is designated as the Army of the United States in the United States Constitution.Article II, section 2, clause 1 of th ...

, serving for three years, and then for a further eight in the reserve. After leaving the Army, he studied at Central Alabama Community College, Selma University, and then at Rushing Springs School of Theology. He then became a professor at Rushing Springs, and also at the Birmingham-Easonian Baptist Bible College. He became senior pastor at the St. Mary Missionary Baptist Church in

Lincoln, Alabama Lincoln is a city in Talladega County, Alabama, United States. It was incorporated in 1911. At the 2020 census, the population was 6,845. It was named for Major General Benjamin Lincoln, who served in the American army during the Revolutionar ...

, serving for 31 years. From 1981, Kelley worked at the Anniston Army Depot, where he joined the

American Federation of Government Employees The American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE) is an American labor union representing over 750,000 employees of the federal government, about 5,000 employees of the District of Columbia, and a few hundred private sector employees, mostly ...

. He became president of his local in 2002, serving until 2011, in which time, he more than doubled its membership. He next became a national vice-president of the union, covering district 5, in which he also increased membership. He was elected as national secretary-treasurer of the union in 2018, and then as president in 2020. He was also elected as a vice-president of the

AFL-CIO The American Federation of Labor and Congress of Industrial Organizations (AFL-CIO) is a national trade union center that is the largest federation of unions in the United States. It is made up of 61 national and international unions, together r ...

. In 2022, he won the AFL-CIO's Eyes on the Prize Award, and also the Alabama AFL-CIO's Labor Person of the Year Award.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Kelley, Everett Year of birth missing (living people) Living people People from Goodwater, Alabama Trade unionists from Alabama Vice presidents of the AFL-CIO Selma University alumni