Sibal Holt retired from the AFL-CIO in March 2005, after serving the state's largest union for 31 years. In 2004, she became the first African-American woman in the country to run a state-level AFL-CIO.  Prior to her election as the union's president, Holt served as its secretary-treasurer.  

Holt, a native of New Orleans, graduated from LSU with a degree in English.  She completed a two-year course in leadership at Auburn University. 

She was a protégé of former union president Victor Bussie, serving as his personal assistant from 1975 until he retired in 1997.  She served as the union's secretary-treasurer until 2004, succeeding former president Red Bourg shortly after his death Oct. 30 of that year.