You have my word that I will diligently work with the IEC and the International Secretary-Treasurer to rebuild the trust and confidence in our Brotherhood by our members, our contractors and our employers.
IST Penny, left, and IP Simmons discuss policies.
The International Executive Council announced significant leadership changes beginning upon the re-retirement of former International President Warren Fairley on Aug. 20. The IEC immediately elected Timothy Simmons to serve as International President until the next International Brotherhood Convention. Simmons had been previously elected to the office of International Vice President of the Southeast Section. The IEC then elected Jeff Campbell to serve as IVP-Southeast.
“It is truly an honor and privilege to have been elected by the IEC. As a second-generation Boilermaker, I began my career knowing God’s grace and the International Brotherhood of Boilermakers brought my family out of poverty and into the middle class,” IP Simmons said. “I look forward to working with our members to make certain future generations of Boilermakers have the same opportunities.
“You have my word that I will diligently work with the IEC and the International Secretary-Treasurer to rebuild the trust and confidence in our Brotherhood by our members, our contractors and our employers. We must work together to put the past behind us and grow our organization.”
Simmons began his Boilermaker career on a boiler outage in 1999, working out of Boilermakers Local 108 (Bessemer, Alabama) at the Alabama Power Miller Steam Plant. He has served the union and his local lodge as a business agent/secretary-treasurer, a District No. 3 officer, Director of National Recruitment Services, Executive Director of Construction Sector Operations and Administrative Assistant to the International President. In October 2022, the IEC unanimously voted to elect Simmons as IVP-Southeast Section.
The IEC elected Clint Penny as International Secretary-Treasurer after accepting the resignation of former IST Kathy Stapp on August 26.
Prior to his election as IST, Penny was Local 11 (Helena, Montana) Business Manager/Secretary-Treasurer. He is a fourth-generation Boilermaker and joined the union on the tools a day after graduating high school, following the footsteps of his father, grandfather and great-grandfather. He describes himself as a “rank-and-file Boilermaker from a suitcase local,” having spent his years on the tools traveling to jobsites around the country.
He served his local lodge for three consecutive terms as BM/ST and has served as president of the Montana State Building Trades since 2021.
“I love being a Boilermaker,” Penny said. “I want to make sure everything is run right, and I want to make sure people like my dad have a pension.”
He said he encourages all members to read and understand the International Brotherhood of Boilermakers’ Constitution.
“We are confident Brother Penny will bring new accountability and transparency to the IST office,” Simmons said. “We look forward to working with him as he begins his service to our organization in this important role.”
Jeff Campbell previously was Executive Director-Industrial Sector Operations and Administrative Assistant to the International President. Prior to that, he was Director of Cement Lodge Services and Assistant Director-ISO servicing lodges in the Southeast, Great Lakes and Northeast sections.
Campbell joined Local 726 (Owensboro, Kentucky) in 1991 while employed as a production technician with W.R. Grace. He held various positions in his local before becoming its president in 2005. He was appointed as an International Rep in 2015 and as Director of the Cement Division in 2022.
With Campbell changing roles as IVP-Southeast, Don Hamric is now Executive Director-ISO. Hamric maintains his position as Director of Research and Collective Bargaining Services. Anthony Howell is now Administrative Assistant to the International President, and he maintains his position as Executive Director-Construction Sector Operations.
“After the changes in leadership last year, the IEC endeavored to reform policies and make it clear that every employee of IBB must work for the betterment of the union,” Simmons said. “We began to work together as never before to ensure fiscal responsibility, foster transparency and set the course so Boilermakers are provided the services they so deserve. We will continue to work together to ensure the IBB is, and will remain, fiscally sound and that all officers and employees act in the members’ best interest.
“I look forward to a bright and solid future for our union and for our Boilermaker brothers and sisters.”
