
Yvonne Brooks is a native of St. Louis and the ninth of 10 children. Brooks comes from a union family. She joined AFSCME Local 410 and became a shop steward during her first six months of employment. In 1996, Brooks accepted the position of staff representative for AFSCME Council 31. In 2008, Brooks accepted an international position with AFSCME as an area field service director. She worked for the AFSCME Florida Voter Protection Project during the 2008 election. Brooks was elected secretary-treasurer of the Georgia State AFL-CIO in 2011. And in 2023, she became the first woman and first African American to be elected president of the state federation.