Chantilly, Va. – The International Association of Fire Chiefs (IAFC) today announced the participants accepted into the seventh-year of the prestigious Fire Service Executive Development Institute (FSEDI).
FSEDI is a yearlong leadership-development program developed by the IAFC to provide new and aspiring chiefs with the tools they need to have successful and productive tenures. The members of the cohort will meet in January 2019 for their first six-day session in addition to two other sessions six months apart in 2019 and 2020. They will also be attending Fire-Rescue International, August 7-10, in Atlanta, Georgia as part of the program.
The group will communicate and share ideas between sessions using an online community. During the course, participants will learn from experts in the fire service a variety of ways to effectively lead in today’s modern fire departments and keep communities safe.
Once again, the Motorola Solutions Foundation has provided the IAFC with a grant to fund the program.
“The Motorola Solutions Foundation recognizes the critical role of fire chiefs at the regional, state and national level,” said Matt Blakely, executive director of the Motorola Solutions Foundation. “We remain committed to supporting the education and development of emerging leaders in fire service to ensure they are successful in protecting the communities they care about.”
Those accepted into the program are:
• Deputy Chief Chantal Botting, Fort Lauderdale (Florida) Fire Rescue
• Deputy Chief Jeffrey Buchanan, Clark County (Nevada) Fire Department
• Battalion Chief Harold Clark, Jr., Pine Bluff (Arkansas) Fire and Emergency Services
• Deputy Chief Jason Dougherty, Hillsborough County (Florida) Fire Rescue
• Deputy Chief Melinda Ann Drayton, Oakland (California) Fire Department
• Chief of Operations Eddie Gauntt, Jr., Montgomery (Alabama) Fire Rescue
• Asst. Chief William Hewett, Bellingham (Washington) Fire Department
• Chief Robert Horton, Jackson County, (Oregon) Fire District 3
• Battalion Chief Jennifer Johnson , Kansas City (Kansas) Fire Department
• Chief Kenneth Johnson, Lancaster (Texas) Fire Department
• Assistant Chief Jaren Kilian, Clay Fire Territory (Indiana) Fire Department
• Division Chief Andy Kovacs, Orange County (California) Fire Authority
• Chief Tim Milligan, Marietta (Georgia) Fire Department
• Deputy Chief David Puckett, Albemarle County (Virginia) Fire Rescue
• Chief Deputy David Richardson, Jr., Los Angeles County Fire Department
• Commander Allen Robnett, Aurora (Colorado) Fire Rescue
• Asst. Chief Joanne Rund, Howard County (Maryland) Fire Rescue
• Battalion Chief Amy Jean Valdez, Virginia Beach (Virginia) Fire Department
• Assistant Chief Andrew Vita, City of Fairfax (Virginia) Fire Department
• Assistant Chief Jay Edward Ziolkowski, Unified Fire Authority (Utah)
"Congratulations to this year’s cohort of emerging fire and emergency service leaders," said Chief Dan Eggleston, IAFC president and chairman of the board. “The IAFC's Fire Service Executive Development Program has become the premier career- and leadership-development program in our profession thanks to the generous support of the Motorola Solutions Foundation. Many officers from the previous programs have been successful in achieving fire chief positions and are effectively leading their departments.”
The Fire Service Executive Development Institute (FSEDI)
FSEDI is a program developed by the IAFC and funded by a grant from Motorola Solutions Foundation to provide new and aspiring chiefs with the tools they need to have a successful and productive tenure. After individual complete their yearlong program they remain active members of FSEDI as part of an alumni. Learn more
Motorola Solutions Foundation
The Motorola Solutions Foundation is the charitable and philanthropic arm of Motorola Solutions. With employees located around the globe, Motorola Solutions seeks to give back to the communities where it operates. The company achieves this by making strategic grants, forging strong community partnerships and fostering innovation. The Motorola Solutions Foundation focuses its funding on public safety, disaster relief, employee giving and education, especially science, technology, engineering and math programming. Learn more
International Association of Fire Chiefs (IAFC)
The IAFC represents the leadership of firefighters and emergency responders worldwide. IAFC members are the world's leading experts in firefighting, emergency medical services, terrorism response, hazardous response, natural disasters, search and rescue, and public safety legislation. Since 1873, the IAFC has provided a forum for its members to exchange ideas, develop professionally and uncover the latest products and services available to first responders. Learn more