Prior to his appointment as director by the International Executive Board, Flippo had served as Assistant to the USW District 9 Director since 2007.

A native of Amory, Miss., Daniel began his career in 1980 as a production worker for Conoco Chemicals, now Georgia Gulf Chemicals, in Aberdeen, Miss.

Daniel joined Local 15198 and quickly became a union activist. He took on a variety of assignments including steward and grievance chairman before he was elected president of the local in 1986. He served three terms.

Because the plant uses the hazardous material vinyl chloride in the process, “safety was a very important part of the work,’’ Flippo said.

After attending the AFL-CIO Organizing Institute, Daniel worked for several years as a volunteer organizer in former District 36. He became an International staff representative in 1996.

While a staff representative for Mississippi and Alabama, Daniel played a significant role in establishing the Mississippi Labor Management Conference and served on the conference board of directors.

As a sub-director for Florida and Georgia, Daniel was instrumental in integrating staff assignments following the 2005 merger with PACE. He was appointed assistant to the director in 2007 after attending the Trade Union Program at Harvard University.

As assistant director, Daniel served as chair of both the Package Holding Council, formerly Blue Ridge Paper, and the BASF Council. He was coordinator of the district’s PAC, First Contract and Education committees.

He was raised in a union household, the son of a Teamster truck driver, attended Amory High School and Itawamba Community College.

Daniel and his wife Patti live in Birmingham, Ala. They have two daughters and a son..