IAFF General President Announces Full Transition Team

WASHINGTON, DC – IAFF General President Edward A. Kelly has announced his full slate of transition team members to serve in key roles tasked with conducting a thorough analysis of programs and services offered by the IAFF and making recommendations to the General President on how to improve these programs to meet the ever-evolving needs of the 324,000 members of the IAFF in the United States and Canada. 

“As I promised during my campaign, we are committed to reviewing every program and service offered by our union to identify efficiencies, as well as areas of improvement, with the ultimate goal to provide the highest level of goods and services to our members serving on the frontlines,” says Kelly.

General President Kelly’s transition team, chaired by 4th District Vice President Andrew Pantelis along with Vice Chair and Chief of Staff Matthew Vinci, is split into three sections with each section addressing specific programs to be evaluated by a work group of subject matter experts.

The three sections and their respective vice chairs are as follows:

Evaluation of Services – Jay Fleming (Boston, MA Local 718)

Vision to Mission – Jay Fleming (Boston, MA Local 718)

Non-Profits/Subsidiaries – Kurt Becker (Professional Fire Fighters of Eastern Missouri Local 2665)

The Evaluation of Services team is tasked with providing a comprehensive review of programs and services currently offered by the IAFF. The work groups will collectively identify strengths, weaknesses and areas of improvement to ensure that only the best possible services are provided to members. 

Patrick Morrison, who heads the IAFF Division of Health, Safety and Occupational Medicine, will serve as the program manager for the Evaluation of Services work groups, providing leadership and guidance. Jay Colbert, IAFF 3rd District Vice President, and Michael Carter, IAFF 6th District Vice President, will serve as senior advisors, providing extensive transformative leadership experience to the transition team.

The Vision to Mission team will be tasked with taking the innovative foresight of General President Kelly and creating an action plan to serve as the blueprint for the Kelly administration to address the issues most important to the dues-paying members of the IAFF. 

Robert Green from the Professional Fire Fighters of Massachusetts will serve as the program manager tasked with providing guidance and oversight to the work groups. Ricky Walsh, IAFF 7th District Vice President, and Jay Colbert will serve as senior advisors to the Vision to Mission team, collectively serving as subject matter experts in membership engagement and satisfaction.

The Non-Profits and Subsidiaries team will provide a comprehensive review and analysis of IAFF relationships with outside non-profit organizations, as well as subsidiaries of the IAFF.

Walt Dix, IAFF 12th District Vice President, and Mathew Golsteyn, IAFF, will serve as senior advisors to the Non-Profits/Subsidiaries team. Both individuals are well positioned to provide sound guidance and technical expertise.

“At the completion of the transition phase, which we anticipate being July 9, the work groups will have collectively created a pathway to ensure that the IAFF is stronger than it has ever been before,” says Transition Chair Andrew Pantelis. “The transition team is committed to the core values of integrity, transparency and fidelity throughout this entire process, and I am honored to work alongside them.”

About the International Association of Fire Fighters

The International Association of Fire Fighters (IAFF) is the driving force behind nearly every advance in the fire and emergency services in the 21st century. With headquarters in Washington, DC, and Ottawa, Ontario, the IAFF represents more than 324,000 full-time professional fire fighters and paramedics in more than 3,500 affiliates. IAFF members protect more than 85 percent of the population in communities throughout the United States and Canada. The IAFF is also one of the most active lobbying organizations in Washington, DC. The IAFF Political Action Committee, FIREPAC, is among the top one-half of one percent of all federally registered PACs in the country. Learn more at www.iaff.org.