NASHVILLE — Vonda McDaniel, president of the Central Labor Council of Nashville and Middle Tennessee, died in Nashville on Tuesday, July 1, 2026, at the age of 60. The council announced her death, but the cause was not released.

A Nashville native, McDaniel had led the council since 2013. The organization represents more than 40 labor unions across the region. She had announced plans to retire at the end of 2026.

McDaniel began her labor career in the early 1990s while working at the Bridgestone Firestone plant in La Vergne. She was a member of the United Rubber Workers and served as a shop steward. She later became active in the United Steelworkers and its Women of Steel leadership program.

In 2017, she was elected vice president of the national AFL-CIO Executive Council and served on the AFL-CIO Racial Justice Task Force. Billy Dycus, president of the Tennessee AFL-CIO, said, "Vonda was one of the strongest voices for working people our state has ever known. She always led with her heart and never lost sight of the people she was fighting for. Her legacy will continue to inspire generations of union members and labor leaders for years to come."

National AFL-CIO President Liz Shuler said, "Vonda was a fearless leader, a tireless advocate for working people and a cherished member of our AFL-CIO family." McDaniel helped launch or lead Stand Up Nashville, the Nashville Justice League, Music City Construction Careers (MC3), and Tennessee for All, a coalition of labor, faith, and community groups.

She served on the Metropolitan Nashville Convention Center Authority board beginning in 2009, eventually becoming chair of its procurement and development committee. McDaniel was active with Emerge Tennessee, Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated, the A. Philip Randolph Institute, and the Coalition of Black Trade Unionists. She had been selected to serve as co-executive director of the Highlander Research and Education Center. She graduated from McGavock High School and earned a degree from Tennessee State University.

McDaniel is survived by her mother, Carole McDaniel; her sister, Valinda Burks; her niece, Jewel Burks Solomon; and her nephew, Myles Sidney. She was raised in the tradition of First Baptist Church, Capitol Hill. Visitation will take place on Tuesday, July 7, 2026, from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. at First Baptist Church, Capitol Hill, located at 625 Rosa L. Parks Blvd. An Ivy Beyond the Wall ceremony is scheduled for 6:30 p.m. that same day. A Celebration of Life will be held on Wednesday, July 8, 2026, at noon at the Music City Center, 201 Rep. John Lewis Way S.