The International Association of Fire Chiefs has chosen a new CEO and executive director.
Retired Chief J. Robert "Rob" Brown Jr. has been appointed to the post after being named as interim CEO/executive director in August 2019, according to a press release from the organization. In 2015, Brown joined the IAFC's staff after retiring as a fire chief. He left for two years to serve as the regional coordinator for Emergency Management and Homeland Security in northern Virginia before returning to the IAFC in 2018.
"It is because of Rob's history as a change agent, his in-depth and diverse understanding of fire/EMS leadership along with his success in exceeding all goals set during this period by the IAFC board of directors, that the board unanimously agreed that Rob is the right choice to continue working with us to bring the IAFC to the next level" Chief Ken Stuebing, the acting president and chairman of the IAFC Board of Directors, said in a statement. "Rob's understanding and embracing a renewed 'focus on the members' culture aligns perfectly with the 2021 and beyond goals set by the IAFC board."
Brown has served 38-years in the fire and rescue service, 20 of those as a fire chief. He became a full IAFC in 1987 and was invited to join the IAFC/NFPA Metropolitan Fire Chiefs Association in 2012. During his career, he has been president of the IAFC Missouri Valley Division; treasurer, director-at-large and international director of the IAFC Emergency Medical Services (EMS) Section; president of the Colorado State Fire Chiefs; and chair of the Northern Virginia Fire Chiefs.
